About Us

COG is the one place in metropolitan Washington that regularly brings leaders together to develop solutions to the region's major challenges. COG prepares plans enabling the region to receive federal funding, provides members with research and data to inform decision-making, and offers a wide range of programs, including commuter services, cooperative purchasing, technical assistance and grants, and public outreach campaigns.

Transportation

Through the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), area officials, planners, and engineers ensure a well-managed and maintained transportation system. The TPB, which is staffed by COG, conducts the federally mandated transportation planning process for the region and ensures the uninterrupted flow of federal transportation funds that area jurisdictions receive.

Environment

COG's work engages leaders in various environmental fields from water quality experts to climate scientists. Together, they are advancing regional efforts to restore local waterways, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change, promote recycling, and enhance and preserve green space and agriculture.

Community

Area officials and experts, including planning and housing directors and child welfare and health officials, work together with their counterparts at COG to help shape stronger communities throughout the region.

Homeland Security & Public Safety

COG brings police chiefs, fire chiefs, emergency managers, and other leaders together as part of its work to strengthen regional public safety coordination, homeland security planning, and emergency communication.

Environment

Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act. COG has received $1 million in non-competitive planning grants through the CPRG Program to prepare a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

The objectives of CPRG closely align with COG’s regional climate goals, including reducing emissions 50 percent relative to 2005 levels by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and ensuring an equitable transition to a clean economy.

On September 20, 2023, the EPA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity to initiate the implementation phase of grants associated with this program. To qualify for consideration in the competitive implementation grant selection of up to $4.6 billion, a project must be incorporated into the PCAP. The final MSA Priority Climate Action Plan was submitted to EPA by the March 1, 2024 deadline.

COG will continue to engage leaders from local and state governments, along with other stakeholders through Steering and Technical Committees that will give guidance on strategies and deliverables for the CCAP, which is due to EPA in December 2025. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Plans Fact Sheet provides a brief overview of the process as well as MSA greenhouse gas emissions and PCAP strategies that are informing the development of the CCAP.

Please contact climate2030@mwcog.org to find out more information about our next stakeholder engagement meetings.

The following jurisdictions make up the Washington‐Arlington‐Alexandria, DC‐VA‐MD‐WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA):

Washington, DC
Arlington County, VA
Clarke County, VA
Culpeper County, VA
Fairfax County, VA
Fauquier County, VA
Loudoun County, VA
Prince William County, VA
Rappahannock County, VA
Spotsylvania County, VA
Stafford County, VA
Warren County, VA
Alexandria City, VA
Fairfax City, VA
Falls Church City, VA
Fredericksburg City, VA
Manassas City, VA
Manassas Park City, VA
Charles County, MD
Frederick County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Prince George’s County, MD
Jefferson County, WV