Environmental/Climate Justice

This guide provides a landscape scan and needs assessment of the work being done at the intersection of climate and housing justice. While tremendous work is underway at the intersection of housing and climate justice, many challenges remain. This brief concludes with recommended investments in 1) technical assistance and research, 2) movement support, and 3) toolkits and popular education materials to unlock the potential of the work and ensure more healthy, stable, and resilient homes for EJ communities. This guide presents interviews with thirteen environmental justice (EJ) leaders, including three from “grasstops” organizations and ten from grassroots advocacy and coalition organizations, including two from the East Coast, one from the Midwest, five from the West Coast, one from the Mountain Region, and two from the South. EJ organizations are working on a wide range of programs and policies at the intersection of housing and climate justice, from working in coalitions to advocate for specific policies and programs to monitoring, outreach, and engagement around implementation. This brief highlights many examples of this work across the following categories: building decarbonization and healthy homes; accelerating energy transition and relieving energy burden; and neighborhood-level decarbonization and resilience.

Join Youth Climate Finance Alliance and the Climate Advocacy Lab where we’ll share more about our new “State of the US Youth Climate Movement” Report and Zine." We will review our research methodology, key findings, and how learnings are shaping our shifts in our programming and organizing strategy. With hopes to resource climate advocates to better contextualize the state of the domestic US youth climate movement and its challenges - to intergenerational allies, movement partners, as well as funder networks - we will highlight key case studies and have plenty of time to discuss and reflect You can view the full report (bit.ly/YCFAReport), as well as the zine at bit.ly/YCFAZine.

This guide aims to ensure that frontline communities can better understand and actively engage in the energy transition. This guide can serve as a valuable resource for energy justice advocates by simplifying the intricacies of utility regulation and providing essential tools, resources, and strategies. The guide breaks down the sometimes complicated world of energy regulation, providing explanations of key concepts such as Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs), rate cases, and the role of Public Utility Commissions (PUCs). Learn about typical processes that happen at utility commissions, including public hearings and stakeholder engagement opportunities. This includes tips on preparing effective public comments, participating in public hearings, and collaborating with other advocates to make a real difference in shaping energy policies. Find actionable recommendations tailored to community organizations, policymakers, and regulators. Explore real-world examples of advocacy efforts that have led to positive changes in energy policy.

Michigan’s future includes lower monthly energy costs, the freedom to live without pollution, and more good-paying jobs and a growing middle class. Michigan’s economy is surging, supercharged by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and a suite of nation-leading clean energy bills passed by the Michigan state government last November. Michigan now has more clean energy projects than any other state and is ranked fourth in the country for new clean energy jobs. Clean energy businesses, which are creating jobs and growing the state’s workforce, are the first to say it: They are planting their stakes in Michigan, largely thanks to strong climate policies. The latest analysis from 5 Lakes Energy (PDF) shows that the state’s climate legislation package, in tandem with the IRA, goes way beyond cutting climate pollution. It will create economy-wide change by saving Michigan families hundreds of dollars in energy bills, bringing more clean energy jobs and investments into the state, and protecting communities from the harmful effects of pollution.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including lots of new polling on climate and the environment as issues in this year’s election, new polling of Latino voters, new polling about conservation in the states that touch the Mississippi River, and new polling about clean energy infrastructure siting in California.

Nearly two-thirds of Latino voters prefer a president who prioritizes climate action over one who prioritizes oil and gas. Latino voters widely agree that extreme weather is becoming worse because of climate change and increasing their utility bills. 83% of Latino voters are concerned about air and water pollution, including 49% who are “very concerned” about it. 78% of Latino voters are concerned about climate change, including 46% who are “very concerned” about it. 65% of Latino voters agree that “we need a president who is committed to addressing climate change and extreme weather and who will make it a key priority of their policy agenda”. 67% of Latino voters agree that extreme weather events are increasing in frequency, and 72% attribute them to climate change.

Individual and household economic precarity is increasingly important in the context of the climate crisis. The household finances of low-income and communities of color are already experiencing impacts “first and worst. California created the CalAccount program, a free and accessible public option for basic financial transactions. Key features of the CalAccount program include: accessibility for individuals who may not have government-issued photo identification and individuals who do not have permanent housing; enabling and streamlining remittance of local, state, and federal benefit and public assistance payments; enabling payroll direct deposit; establishing a process and terms and conditions for registered payees; and requiring landlords to allow a tenant to pay rent and security deposits by electronic funds from CalAccount. As a free public option for Californians to access their money, CalAccount would significantly improve the financial resilience of vulnerable households in the context of climate (and other) hazards.

In the face of climate-related disasters, effective communication around evacuation orders and recovery resources can mean the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), who are at the front lines of climate change and climate-related disasters, are often excluded from these lifesaving communications— further compounding their vulnerability to climate change. Fortunately, states like New York and Hawaii are pioneering legislative efforts to enhance language access during emergencies and disasters. These models offer a crucial template for other states, demonstrating how targeted policy and funding can ensure that language is not a barrier to safety and disaster resilience. There are three policy recommendations that should be considered: tracking emerging languages as climate migration increases; building trust and embedding cultural competence in emergency management; and measuring translation performance based on accuracy, speed, and literacy accessibility.