Climate Leadership from Above and Below.

If the last two months have taught us anything, it’s that real leadership on the climate crisis means having the courage to take bold actions aimed at instigating deeper and more radical structural changes in the global economy.  In the United States, momentum continues to build in this direction. From our neighborhoods all the way up to the Presidential campaign trail, we are witnessing surprising and hopeful developments in the name of advancing climate justice (CJ) and more substantive democratic transformation. 

Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race has created space for Kamala Harris to build on their shared climate and environmental justice legacy as a presidential candidate. As Vice President, Harris helped make the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund a reality, and has been integral to the rollout of environmental justice (EJ) commitments as part of the Biden Administration. Just this past month we have witnessed the launch of www.environmental justice.gov and the first-ever White House Summit on Environmental Justice in Action with EJ leaders from across the country. The new federal  EJ site features information about administrative actions and describes a host of federal resources, tools, and funding opportunities in addition to stories from funded communities and information about the White House Office Environmental Justice. 

There is, of course, so much more that can and should be done. The actions of the federal government continue to be insufficient to address the magnitude of the climate crisis and related social injustices.  Still, important progress is being made. In fact, we are excited to say that this summer of action must be heating up because our latest Climate Update newsletter features our largest collection of local climate policy innovations and investments yet.

What's in the Summer Climate Action Update?

Scroll down to more about how the City of San Antonio is making large-scale investments to combat urban heat islands.  Watch a new documentary on successful anti-gentrification efforts from Brooklyn, New York.  Explore the details of Seattle’s new $2.2 million investment in clean energy career pathways. Or see how San Jose, California is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve city council meeting access, and to be inspired by the detail and transparency of Bloomington, Indiana’s Climate Action Dashboard. This update also features federal opportunities and resources like DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Program,  technical assistance for the adoption of the latest building codes, and a number of new sites dedicated to helping communities invest in clean energy. 

Nonprofits eligible for clean energy tax credits will want to check out the just-launched Clean Energy Tax Navigator from Lawyers for Good Government and Atlas Public Policy. Communities at risk of flooding may find Flood Resilience in Appalachia full of helpful policy recommendations. Municipalities eager to find matching funds to be eligible for federal grants will not want to miss the Local Infrastructure Hub’s latest resources. These and many other vital resources - from RMI, Clearloop, Evergreen Collaborative, ClimatexChange and others - are featured below. 

A quick ask: These Updates are a collective labor of love from our team - please share this newsletter with your colleagues and movement allies. They can sign up for future updates here!