Hi John,

The recent Supreme Court ruling on West Virginia v. EPA prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants — emissions that threaten public health and worsen climate change. The decision makes us question if we really can count on the courts to protect our communities and the environment from harmful pollutants.

However, we don’t need the Supreme Court to create green jobs, increase energy independence, and find common ground on climate. We can still achieve major wins for our communities and the planet by coming together to find common-sense solutions at the state and local level. 

Now — more than ever — we need to invest in bottom-up bipartisanship. State and local decision-makers can pass policies that serve the unique needs of their communities, centering their voices to advance equitable climate solutions. Both the approach to policy making and the policies themselves should set the standard for what collaborative climate leadership looks like on the federal level. 

This is more than just a theory. We’ve been actively working in states across the U.S. to bring Republicans and Democrats to find common ground:

• Saving rooftop solar in Florida: When the Florida state legislature passed a bill that would effectively kill rooftop solar, we mobilized Floridians across party lines to call on Governor Ron DeSantis to veto the bill. It worked. And both progressives and conservatives were critical to this success.  
• Bringing state legislators together on climate: The Southern Regional Environmental Legislators Conference created space for state and local leaders from across the region and political spectrum to find common ground solutions to environmental problems. Legislators took lessons learned back to their home states to advance equitable, bipartisan climate policy that places communities at the center.
• Lifting up community voices: The Nevada Clean Energy Equity Workshop brought together environmental advocates, climate experts, and community members to collaboratively discuss what an inclusive green economy looks like for Nevada.
  

While we are proud of these recent wins, we know that advancing climate policy just got harder, not easier. We will continue to fight for a world that is green for all, not green for some. But we can’t do it without you.  

How can you be a part of the solution right now? 

• Tell your elected officials to support common ground solutions in your state.
• Brush up on your advocacy knowledge and discover ways to influence policy.
• Explore new opportunities in the clean energy sector and apply for the Green For All Clean Energy Scholarship 

Together, we can and we will build a brighter future.
— CeCe Grant, Campaign Director, Common Ground on Climate