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Advocating for Climate Justice at COP28:
Week One

WE ACT had a strong presence during the first week of COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UAE. Despite the apparent incongruity of holding such an event in a nation that ranks eighth worldwide in oil production (the United States is the world’s top oil producer), this annual conference is an important venue for discussing and influencing the global effort to address the climate crisis. And while we did not receive approval to host the Climate Justice Pavilion, we sent eight staff members as part of our delegation.

Peggy Shepard participated in five panel discussions, ranging from funding climate justice and carbon markets to how activists, academics, and philanthropy can work together to advance climate justice. She met with members of the U.S. State Department’s delegation, who negotiate on behalf of the United States at this climate conference, to discuss climate adaptation and resilience, climate migration, and loss and damage, which was agreed upon in principle at this conference (many thanks to Board Member Dr. Crystal Upperman who helped arrange and attended this key meeting). Peggy also met with representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy to discuss our concerns about Liquified Natural Gas.

She and other staff members participated in a number of roundtable discussions, receptions, and meetings to advance and build support for a global climate justice movement as we prepare for the return of the Climate Justice Pavilion at next year's conference, which will likely be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Our focus for Week Two is to continue networking and attending events to ensure that climate justice remains part of the dialog. We will also be giving a bilingual presentation at the Dominican Republic's pavilion to showcase WE ACT's approach to advancing climate justice, hopefully serving as a model for others.
Peggy Shepard (center, speaking) spoke about the importance of advocacy on a panel discussion of climate action with (to her left) Bezos Earth Fund President & CEO Andrew Steer and Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, which was moderated by Columbia Climate School Interim Dean Jeff Shaman.
Meeting with members of the U.S. State Department’s COP28 delegation (clockwise from left): U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, & Migration Senior Advisor Lindsay Jenkins, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s Senior Adaptation Advisor Christina Chan, U.S. Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate’s Director of Legislative Affairs Anna Yelverton, Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice’s Executive Director Dr. Robert Bullard, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice’s Founder & Executive Director Dr. Beverly Wright, Peggy Shepard, and Deloitte’s Government & Public Services Senior Manager (and WE ACT Board Member) Dr. Crystal Upperman.

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Peggy kicked off the conference on a panel ([link removed]) hosted by the World Wildlife Fund’s America Is All In, in which she discussed how Justice40 is helping advance climate justice. You can watch this replay of the panel, which also featured Green Leadership Trust Managing Director Dany Sigwalt, Deloitte’s Government and Public Services Senior Manager (and WE ACT Board Member) Dr. Crystal Upperman, and Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice’s Executive Director Dr. Robrt Bullard.

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TAKE ACTION: Demand Sally Beauty Stop Selling Toxic Products to People of Color

A new report ([link removed]) has found high levels of formaldehyde in cosmetics and personal care products marketed to people of color and sold by Sally Beauty. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that can cause cancer as well as irritation to the eyes, throat, and lungs. Despite the known health harms from formaldehyde, companies like Sally Beauty continue to sell products that contain chemicals like formaldehyde.

Join us in calling on Sally Beauty CEO Denise Paulonis to create a safer chemical policy and ensure the public that the company will start to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals from the products sold in their stores.
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TAKE ACTION: Speak Up Against the Mayor's Cuts to Composting and Parks

* Hundreds Rally Against Mayor's Elimination of Community Composting: We joined hundreds of people at City Hall this week demanding that Mayor Adams stop the elimination of critical community composting programs such as GrowNYC, along with over 100 union jobs, that work to keep food waste out of our landfills and streets. Sign the petition to save community composting! ([link removed])
* Mayor Moves to Slash Park's Budget: The NYC Parks budget has been underfunded for 40 years and now the Mayor is moving to cut the budget by as much as 15%. Write directly to the Mayor and your Council Member ([link removed]) to oppose these cuts and demand overdue investment in our parks and open spaces.

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Green Healthy Schools Campaign Launches

We joined New York City public school students, teachers, parents, and unions as well as City Council Members and fellow advocates this week at City Hall for the launch of the Green Healthy Schools campaign. Our decaying school infrastructure in New York City is contributing to pollution, fossil fuel use, and asthma. New York City's school buildings alone account for nearly 20% of the city's fossil fuel emissions, and right now schools rely on dirty fossil fuels to power and heat classrooms. It's time to invest in safe, healthy, and comfortable schools - in every neighborhood - and transition the nation's largest school district off fossil fuels.
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TAKE ACTION: Demand the Mayor Follow the Law and Enforce the Renewable Rikers Act

Mayor Adams' administration has missed three important deadlines to enforce Local Law 16 of the Renewable Rikers Act, a law we helped pass to shut down Rikers and convert the island into a renewable energy hub. With another deadline approaching on December 31st, we are pressuring the Adams administration to take action and actually make this critical law a reality.
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* Beauty Justice: Dr. Micaela Martinez and several of our beauty justice colleagues were featured in an article ([link removed]) about the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, which goes into effect at the end of this month. It’s part of series – Dereliction of Beauty ([link removed]) : How lax regulation of beauty care products victimizes women of color – that Inside Climate News has been doing on the lack of regulation that is causing exposure to toxics in personal care products. And Dr. Martinez talks about the challenge of making the law stronger when industry lobbyists have unfettered access to lawmakers and regulatory officials.
* Calling Out the Mayor for Diesel: We called out New York City Mayor Eric Adams in an article in Harlem World ([link removed]) , with Sonal Jessel explaining the folly of his decision to waste tax dollars on switching the city’s heavy-duty vehicle fleet to renewable diesel when he should be thinking long-term and investing in all-electric vehicles.
* Carbon Capture Myths: Manny Salgado made the Daily Kos ([link removed]) , which shared a DeSmog article ([link removed]) in which he called out the myths of carbon capture technology.

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Panel: Building an Environmentally Equitable New Jersey

Dr. Micaela Martinez will moderate a panel on the Environmental Justice Law ([link removed]) , signed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in 2020, that made New Jersey the first state in the country with the ability to issue denials for new facilities with disproportionate impacts on “environmentally overburdened communities.” This law was the precursor to New York State’s Cumulative Impacts law, which we helped pass in 2023. The panel will explore if New Jersey’s legislation is sufficient to reverse the damage done to under-resourced communities and how much power it gives individuals to enforce environmental protections. The panel will be on Monday, December 18 at 7 pm on Zoom!
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New Uptown Chats Episode: Legacy of Lead

Check out the new episode of Uptown Chats ([link removed]) podcast about lead and environmental justice! Lonnie and Jaron sit down with WE ACT’s Director of Policy Sonal Jessel, MPH and Matthew Chachere, Former Staff Attorney at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), to talk about the long, ongoing struggle against childhood lead poisoning in New York and why it’s such a critical environmental justice issue.

Have experience with making music? Uptown Chats is looking for a new theme song to ring in the new year! Submit a sample of your work (~30 seconds) to [email protected] by December 31, and we'll reach out to our top selections.
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Join Dayenu for a Climate-Themed Hanukkah

Celebrate Hanukkah with Dayenu, a Jewish climate organization, on Monday, December 11 from 5 - 7 pm. They will be holding a candle lighting ceremony in the Upper West Side to ground and center the Jewish climate movement and push our leaders to commit to promises previously made under legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act. All attendees must register in advance!
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Let's Include Voices from Northern Manhattan in This Survey!

Communities Speak is gathering data on what living in New York City is really like to share with city policymakers and help make sure that policy in our city is made with the needs of our community in mind. Please take a few minutes to share your opinions!
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