Depending on who you ask this Halloween, spooky season is either ending or just getting started. Spooks aside, there’s a tremendous amount of good news we have to share with you this month.

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This brief explains the crippling state of debt that exists in the Global South, with an emphasis on the role of wealthy countries like the U.S. in perpetuating the issue and its effects on global efforts to mitigate climate change and achieve a green transition.

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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 change. 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 and more substantive democratic transformation. 

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The complex problems posed by climate change require us to think outside the box. This month, our Update is packed with creative ideas from cities across the country and around the world to address urban climate migration, revitalize downtowns left empty after Covid, create investments in youth-driven climate initiatives, and generate wraparound services to keep residents housed.

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For the generational opportunities now available through federal funding grants and programs, two key roadblocks have impacted grassroots organizations from accessing and using these resources. And given the scale and speed at which money is intended to be granted out, there is so much more that can be done.

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We're starting to see real change from our growing movement and its successes. One of the most important changes is seeing ourselves, and our communities, as powerful - and empowered - agents of change. This month, we’re highlighting impactful new climate initiatives being implemented in the United States and around the world.

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This newsletter has one purpose -- to illuminate the path towards a more just and sustainable future for communities in the U.S. and around the world. As a movement, we need to dispel any cynicism that the future we want is too far away, and that it will be impossible to realize. It’s not. The tools we need and the allies we seek are all around us.

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As the year comes to a close, we want to know how we can best support your advocacy work in 2024. Why? The answer is simple -- we are now witnessing a pivotal moment in the history of global climate action. In this update, we’re also highlighting some of the most inspiring recent developments in climate action and policy spaces.

Five years on, the Green New Deal remains popular among a majority of voters. It is clear that a Green New Deal and local climate innovations are not only popular, but inspiring further actions nationwide. Our cities and communities are on board, and with federal funding, more within reach than they have ever been. As part of the five-year anniversary of the Green New Deal, we will be publishing our most anticipated movement resource yet in the coming weeks: the Federal Funding Primer.

As the Biden Administration enters its fourth year, there are concrete signs that the federal government is responding to communities telling them to think more creatively about how to distribute federal resources and dollars. It's with this theme in mind we bring you our January Climate Action Update.

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There’s a popular phrase that goes, “Think Globally, Act Locally.” This month, we’re leaning into its counterpart. We can think locally about what we need to do to make our own communities just, vibrant, and sustainable - but we can’t forget that all our actions are inherently global. 

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It’s been a year since the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed, nearly two since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed, and almost three years since President Biden established the Justice40 Initiative. But some significant questions have hung heavy in the air ever since their passage: Will these investments truly advance justice?  In this month’s newsletter we take a closer look, and share where there is room for improvement.

In September's Climate Action Update, we shine a light on exciting projects - big and small - that are taking shape across the nation. From civilian response teams and participatory democracy models to billions in funding for resilient communities and infrastructure upgrades, this newsletter covers it all!

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In this month's Climate Action Update, we highlight the role of labor in the climate change movement, including the critical role of workforce development, unionization, and job training pathways necessary to build a more just and sustainable future.

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JULY UPDATE: This month we have even more resources and recent developments to share with you, from Taproot Earth's Just Transition Lawyering Network to Chicago's in-depth Blueprint for a Just & Vibrant City.

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JUNE UPDATE: The latest roundup policy models, funding opportunities, and justice-forward resources for all our friends and allies working to advance climate action and justice in their cities and communities.

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The right to vote is not only a time honored and celebrated tradition, but one of our most sacred and fundamental rights as citizens.

“Dismantling factory farming is not going to eliminate inequality or stop agricultural emissions, but as part of a larger Green New Deal program it would challenge the exploitative and destructive practices of big agribusiness and redistribute power back to farmers, consumers, rural workers, and the American people.”

The anti-farmer and anti-climate policies currently being pursued by Modi in India and supported by the Biden administration strengthen the hand of fascism and threaten progress on global climate justice.

“An effective Green New Deal is also a radical Green New Deal… from the Latin radix, meaning root: radical change is systemic change that tackles root causes rather than merely addressing symptoms.”