Defending and Advancing Climate Justice Policies
In the wake of the 2024 US election, a change in Administration and Congress is predicted to escalate threats to our democracy and severely undercut or reverse any climate change investments and progress made to date.
We engaged the leading policy experts from national and state environmental, climate, racial, economic, public health, housing, Indigenous, and immigrant justice organizations to compile policy solutions with the most potential impact given the federal election outcome. This information is for advocacy-grassroots organizations as they develop and implement their agendas and pathways for action to advance climate justice.
This report is a collaborative effort by policy experts across sectors such as environmental, climate, racial, public health, and economic justice, designed to address potential challenges to climate and environmental justice in the United States under the current makeup of leadership in Washington, DC. It also proposes mitigating actions to address these threats, including at the state and local levels, as well as strategic litigation and federal oversight actions.
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Collaborators & Contributors
- Dalal Aboulhosn, Senior Director of Programs & Policy, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy
- Karen Abrams, Deputy Director, Programs, The Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project
- Chelsea Barnes, Director of Government Affairs and Strategy, Appalachian Voices
- Rebecca Bernhardt, Program Director, Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Johanna Bozuwa, Executive Director, Climate & Community Institute
- Irene Burga, Climate and Clean Energy Program Director, GreenLatinos
- Thais Carrero, Director of External Affairs, National Partnership for New Americans
- Sophia Cheng, Climate Justice Campaign Manager, People’s Action
- Nikita Daryanani, Climate and Energy Policy Manager, Coalition of Communities of Color, Oregon
- Taren Evans, Environmental Justice Director, Coalition of Communities of Color, Oregon
- Kendall Dix, National Policy Director, Taproot Earth
- Neka Duckett-Randolph, Member, Advocacy, & Strategic Planning Coordinator, Out for Justice, (Maryland)
- Megan Essaheb, Director of Federal Affairs, People’s Action
- Ahmed Gaya, Director Climate Justice Collaborative, National Partnership for New Americans
- James Goodwin, Policy Director, Center for Progressive Reform
- Ardie Griffin, Policy Analyst & Legislative Director, Emerald Cities Collaborative
- Deric Gruen, Co-Executive Director of Programs & Policy, Front & Centered, Washington State
- Batul Hassan, Policy Manager, Climate & Community Project
- Jameka Hodnett, Chief Programs Officer, The Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project
- Melissa Holguin Pineda, Program Manager Inclusion Initiatives, National Partnership for New Americans
- Miah Hornyak, Environment and Health Policy Coordinator, Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Naadiya Hutchinson, Just Transition Lawyering Network Manager, Taproot Earth
- Sonal Jessel, Senior Program Director, Building Power Resource Center
- Juan Jhong Chung, Executive Director, Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition
- Lavonya Jones, Just Energy Director, Partnership for Southern Equity
- Sonia Kikeri, National Director of Policy and Civic Engagement, Emerald Cities Collaborative
- Morgan King, Climate and Energy Manager, West Virginia Citizen Action Group
- Dani Parent, West Virginia Citizen Action Group
- Elizabeth Becker, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
- Dr. Majadi Baruti, PUSH Buffalo
- Paige Knappenberger, Program Director of the Environment and Health Program, Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Seri Lee, Deputy Organizing Director, ONE Northside
- Gladys Limón, Civil Rights and Environmental Justice Attorney
- Nile Malloy, Climate Justice Director, California Environmental Justice Alliance
- Chad Martin, Environmental Justice Policy Strategist, North Carolina Black Alliance
- Camilo Mejía, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Catalyst Miami
- Priiya Mulgaonkar, Senior Policy and Field Manager, Green New Deal Network
- Cristina Muñoz de la Torre, Senior Researcher, Just Solutions
- Bakeyah Nelson, Senior Advisor, Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas
- Sonum Nerurkar, Federal Strategist, Climate & Clean Energy Equity Fund
- Noah Patton, Housing Policy Analyst, National Low-Income Housing Coalition
- Hannah Perls, Senior Staff Attorney, Environmental & Energy Law Program, Harvard University
- Natalie Rivas, Research & Policy Manager, The Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project
- Adrien Salazar, Policy Director, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
- Alvaro Sanchez, Vice President of Policy, Greenlining Institute
- Kelly Sheehan, Co-Executive Director, Initiative for Energy Justice
- Jo Seigel, One Pennsylvania
- Jennifer Somers, Executive Director, Collectrify: A Frontline-Led Energy Fund
- Jackie Spicer, Climate Equity Policy Fellow, Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition
- Shalini Swaroop, Deputy Executive Director, Initiative for Energy Justice
- Susan Thomas, Director of Legislation & Policy, Just Transition Northwest Indiana
- Ava Traverso, Equitable Climate and Clean Energy Policy Fellow, Illinois People’s Action
- Gabriella Velardi-Ward, Founder, Coalition for Wetlands and Forests
- Tonyehn Verkitus, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Tara Webster, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
- Karen Wickersham, Member, Thompson Chain of Lakes Stewardship Coalition
- Michelle Wright, Policy Organizing Manager, Climate Justice Alliance
- Janene Yazzie, Director of Policy and Advocacy, NDN Collective
- Ansha Zaman, Federal Policy Director, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy
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New Report: Defending and Advancing Climate Justice Policies
Because we had the forethought and relationships, and collectively committed the necessary time and resources, we now have this report in hand and ready to use in January 2025. We are much better positioned to both anticipate and respond to attacks. We can more effectively and aggressively push back against efforts that would undermine investments in just solutions, and put communities across the US in further danger of climate disasters.