COP27 Concludes: The Climate Justice Pavilion Makes Its Mark
We continued our daily program of panels, presentations, and discussions during our second week at COP27, the 2022 United Nations Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. We focused on issues such as loss and damage, plastics pollution, land rights, gender bias, and community consent and featured experts, including those with lived experience, from around the world. The highlights included a day of youth programming, panels on topics ranging from grassroots feminist frameworks for climate justice to petrochemicals and zero-waste policy, and the one-on-one conversation Dana Johnson had with Shalanda Baker, Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the US Department of Energy.
The feedback from those in attendance was tremendous. People reached out in-person and online to tell us they finally felt like they had a home at this annual climate conference, which has surely been transformed by providing a platform within the Blue Zone for those who have been most impacted by the crisis.
We would like to thank our partners, including our co-hosts, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University as well as Clear Environmental; PACJA, Charles Mwangi, Thematic lead – Resilient People, Society and Economies at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance; Ryan Shepard, Associate Vice President of US Programs at CARE; Cathryn Eatock, Representative of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform; International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change; Instituto Clima e Sociedade; and Kim Martinez, Vice President of Education and Engagement at the National Wildlife Federation.
And we’d also like to thank our supporters, who helped make this all happen: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, the Kresge Foundation, Center for American Progress, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists, Climate Equity Collaborative, National Wildlife Federation, NRDC, Sierra Club, Columbia Climate School, Dream.org, Green Leadership Trust, League of Conservation Voters, NAACP, and Ocean Conservancy.
We will soon be sharing the recordings and have already started discussing plans for the Climate Justice Pavilion at COP28. Stay tuned!
Dana Johnson (right) moderates a discussion with Shalanda Baker (left), Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy
Representatives of The Black Hive from the Movement for Black Lives speak at the Climate Justice Pavilion
Panel discussion on disinvestment in Black communities with Abre' Connor (left) and Patrice Willoughby (right) from the NAACP
The Taiwanese Delegation pays a visit to the Climate Justice Pavilion
Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow, Caleb Smith, being sphinx-like
Photo credit: Chris Jordon of Earthjustice
Learn to Shop Toxin-Free This Holiday Season
Join the Beauty Inside Out working group for "Toxic Free Holidays" on November 30th at 6:30 pm on Zoom! We'll be talking about how to shop toxin-free this holiday season and discuss some popular Christmas gifts and toxic free alternatives for your family and friends. We'll also have a guest presentation from Mike Schaede from Mind the Store who will talk about the best places to shop for toxic free products.
Don't miss our final membership meeting of 2022 on December 3rd at 10 am. This meeting will be in-person at Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge at 454 West 155th Street. We'll be reviewing all that's happened this year and look ahead to next year, including our 2023 policy agenda.
Peggy spoke at the Obama Foundation’s first-ever Democracy Forum on November 17. The event, held in partnership with Columbia University and the University of Chicago, brought together experts from around the world to discuss the biggest challenges democratic institutions face today and showcase democracy in action. Peggy gave a lightning talk on the intersection of climate change, civic engagement, and democracy. Once the video becomes available, we will be sure to share it with you.
PowerUp NYC Community Town Hall
Want to help plan NYC’s transition to clean and reliable energy? PowerUp NYC is a collaborative energy planning study that will accelerate city government action to clean up our air, make energy bills more affordable, and create opportunities for local community energy. RSVP for their Community Town Hall to help to shape NYC’s clean energy future: Thursday, December 1, 6 - 8:30 pm at NYU, 370 Jay Street, 12th Floor, in Brooklyn.
WE ACT joined more than 100 environmental justice groups and allied organizations in a letter urging the Biden Administration to reevaluate its support of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 also known as the "Dirty Deal". The letter was sent to President Biden in anticipation of the “permitting reform” conversations beginning again as Congress reconvenes. It is expected that Senator Joe Manchin’s Energy Independence and Security Act, or some version of it, will be re-introduced as an amendment to the last must-pass bills of 2022 – the National Defense Authorization Act and omnibus packages which fund our national security and continue the operation of the federal government.
If passed, the bill would severely erode community input, advance inadequate environmental analysis, and eliminate judicial recourse for those most harmed by subpar processes. Instead, signatories urge President Biden and Democratic Leadership to support the Environmental Justice for All Act (EJ for All), a comprehensive bill to reduce environmental inequities, including provisions to protect and strengthen public participation and tribal consultation.
At WE ACT, Charles has recruited and trained more than 2,000 people in 30 hours of OSHA and 32 hours of asbestos handling classes, along with over 100 certified solar installers. As a result, more than 200 of those trained now have jobs, including 138 community members working in construction and 78 in the solar industry. Charles has also been instrumental in developing the solar workers cooperative, SUNS: Solar Uptown Now Services, with his solar trainees. Together, they have installed 14 megawatts of solar power to date. In short, Charles gets a whole lot done for our community.
Thank you to everyone who supported Charles for this well-deserved award!
