Leading with Race in Climate Solutions
Climate justice is racial justice. There is no way to advance equitable, effective, and just solutions to climate change without also addressing the marginalization of people of color and the disproportionate burdens that communities of color shoulder as the planet warms.
The U.S. economy is built on racial injustice that permeates public and private structures and systems to this day. Without consciously designing for racial equity, we are limited in our ability to repair past harm and are at risk of perpetuating it.
THE PROBLEM
Opponents of racial justice have been mounting increasingly effective legal attacks on race-conscious policy and action. The new federal administration, and previous Supreme Court decisions to ban affirmative action, are shifting the legal terrain and stoking fear and uncertainty. The confusion and chaos is causing many sectors to walk back or freeze their racial equity efforts entirely. Organizations doing climate equity work are actively targeted and others are scrambling to figure out what’s next.
THE SOLUTION
In order to defend and extend decades of progress on racial justice, we need to come together now to reaffirm our commitment to leading with race in climate change solutions. We need to fully understand our legal options and be able to distinguish between scare tactics and legal constraints.
More than ever we need to double down on co-creating proactive strategies that address this moment of need and transform systems for a racially just climate future.
LEARN MORE:
In progress – check back soon. We are updating guidance and resources based on the realities of this federal administration.
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WEBINARS
Webinar: Leading with Race in Climate Solutions: Making Sense of the Chaos & Charting Our Course
Climate justice is racial justice. The chaos of the federal administration has many people scrambling to understand what’s happening, and what it means for leading with race in climate work. […]
Webinar: Leading with Race in Climate Solutions: Legal Attacks & Pathways Forward
This webinar shared how the opponents of racial justice are mounting legal attacks on Leading with Race and what we can do about it. We learned what is legal, what […]
Resources from the Field
Advancing Racial Equity: Legal Guidance for Advocates
This is a challenging and confusing time for advocates for racial equity and supporters of racial justice. There are political, cultural, and legal headwinds. This guidance from the Othering & Belonging Institute is designed to help advocates and institutional leaders understand prevailing interpretations of law with a greater degree of nuance and precision than is typically available. It clarifies what is permissible and what is generally prohibited, and provides many examples to illustrate these ideas.
Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
This public resource from Just Security tracks legal challenges to Trump administration actions.
EXPLORE MORE
- Democracy Resilience Toolkit: Prompts and Actions Pocket Guide – Government Alliance on Race and Equity
- FROM PROJECT 2025 TO PROJECT 2029: How We Resist an Authoritarian Takeover and Turn Public Administration into a Force for Equity and Justice – Race Forward
- Resource Bank for Racial Equity – Race Forward
- Multi-State Guidance Concerning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Employment Initiative – Statements from Attorney General Dan Rayfield
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