Office of the Spokesperson
The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Resilience Innovation Grant program, a part of the Greening Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) Awards. Sponsored by the Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), these grants provide nearly $1 million to help U.S. embassies and consulates address emerging environmental risks to their operations with innovative solutions. Selected projects will positively impact the communities where our diplomatic posts operate and will provide tangible examples of sustainability and resilience technology and interventions.
Incorporating a variety of technologies and spanning every region in the world, the winning projects range in size from $10,000 to $312,750. Water security emerged as a theme, with winning projects focusing on water recycling, rainwater harvesting, borewells with a solar pump, and a native landscaping and wildlife habitat project. The winning posts will receive guidance from OBO and the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions (M/SS) regarding implementation.
Winning diplomatic posts for this year’s grants include U.S. Embassy Amman, U.S. Embassy Lilongwe, U.S. Embassy Harare, U.S. Embassy Dili, U.S. Embassy Panama City, and U.S. Embassy Skopje, which received grants for projects to improve water management and reduce water waste. U.S. Embassy Kathmandu and U.S. Embassy Bamako received grants to improve their waste management. U.S. Embassy Brasilia, U.S. Embassy Rangoon, and U.S. Embassy Valetta received grants aimed at improving energy efficiency. U.S. Embassy Nur-Sultan received a grant to develop a native wildlife habitat that will reduce grounds maintenance.
For further information on the Greening Diplomacy Initiative, please contact Stephanie Christel at ChristelSM@state.gov or (202) 485-1624, or visit www.state.gov/ecodiplomacy.