COG awards local governments, organizations for climate and energy innovation

At the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors meeting, area leaders presented the 2025 Climate and Energy Leadership Awards to the City of Frederick's Residential Composting Pilot Program, Frederick County's Green Homes Program, Emerald Cities Collaborative's DC Contractor Incubator, and Montgomery County Public Schools' Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Network.

The awardees implemented a broad range of climate solutions, which have contributed to the COG regional goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and supporting environmental efforts to advance equity in traditionally disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The awards were announced by Fairfax County Supervisor and COG Board Chair Rodney Lusk and City of Alexandria Vice Mayor and COG Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy Committee Chair Sarah Bagley.

Small Government Sector Award: City of Frederick's Residential Composting Pilot Program

The Residential Curbside Composting Pilot Program is the City of Frederick's primary waste recovery program. Residents sign up and receive a compost bin for curbside collection of food scraps and other organic materials. The City led culturally sensitive communications and marketing efforts to increase household participation in underrepresented communities. Since December 2023, 3,500 people have been engaged, and the compost education materials have been translated into seven languages.

The program saw a 69 percent increase in subscribers when the pilot was expanded citywide, and since June of 2022, City residents have recovered 1.2 million pounds of food waste.

Large Government Sector Award: Frederick County's Green Homes Program

Frederick County's Green Homes Program connects education, personalized support, community partnerships, and financial incentives to promote long-term, measurable change at the household and neighborhood levels. Through local action, thousands of community members engaged in building more energy-efficient homes, leading to significant reductions in energy use and utility costs. Particularly focused on historically underserved communities, the Green Homes Challenge has 2,193 households currently enrolled. Annually, this results in a cumulative total of 15,123 tons of CO₂ emissions reduced and $1,497,943 in estimated savings across participating households.

Non-governmental Organization Sector Award: Emerald Cities Collaborative's DC Contractor Incubator

The DC Contractor Incubator is a holistic clean energy and business development program designed to support small, minority, and women-owned construction businesses in Washington, DC, particularly those located in or serving Wards 5, 7, and 8. The program offers cohort-based training, one-on-one coaching, and individualized technical and business assessments focused on green building technologies, climate policy readiness, and investment-aligned green energy and infrastructure projects. Businesses engage in 5-8 weeks of structured curriculum, followed by up to two years of tailored business coaching and technical assistance. Since launching in 2024, the DC Contractor Incubator has served 53 unique construction firms across three cohorts.

Educational Institution Sector Award: Montgomery County Public Schools' Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Network

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) implemented a groundbreaking Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Monitoring Network across its facilities. The initiative includes the deployment of environmental sensors in every classroom, media center, and cafeteria across the school district. As a result, almost 5 billion data points are collected per year across 10,000 spaces. The district uses systemwide metrics to quantify performance and target trouble spots to proactively prevent mold and related damage, monitor energy use, and more to pursue broader sustainability and resiliency goals.

MORE: Download individual awardee videos

City of Frederick | Frederick County | Emerald Cities Collaborative | Montgomery County Public Schools