Climate Justice Leaders Program
The Just Transition Collaborative (JTC) established the Climate Justice Leaders (CJL) program, which aimed to develop leadership capability from impacted community members to contribute to more inclusive climate policy and projects. The CJL program was created in order to address the lack of a diverse representation in Boulder city and county sustainability efforts. Our pilot cohort consisted of 10 community leaders that represented communities of color, immigrants, youth, elders and low-income communities in the city and county of Boulder. Through the program CJLeaders were able to build capacity, share knowledge and develop strategies around ways to insure inclusive participation, policies and projects that pertain to sustainability and equity efforts.
Climate Justice Assembly
JTC coordinated the ‘Climate Justice Assembly’ (CJA). This included four workshops that brought together 35 diverse community leaders, including the Climate Justice Leaders, policy-makers (including the Mayor, City Council members and County Commissioners), NGO and university representatives to envision new forms of collaboration, policy and project action and assessment.
The work of the CJA explored three parts 1) inclusive policy practices and goals around sustainability in Boulder city and county that are important and relevant to underrepresented communities 2) identification of equity needs and barriers in policies and programs around the city and county of Boulder broadly and specific to green workforce development and transportation and 3) to engage in conversations about how power, identity and bias influence efforts that the city and county work on in regards to equity and sustainability. An orientation was facilitated for stakeholders to bring them up to speed with the work that the Leaders had engaged with and to get a better understanding of the work we would be doing as an Assembly.
Peterson Jean
Adrien Seybert
Elizabeth Achulo
Foster Goodwill
Andrea Nawage
Theresa Halsey
Angela Maria Ortiz Roa
Teagan Walker
Andy Better
RECOMMENDATIONS: A JUST TRANSITION FOR BOULDER
The following are recommendations for Boulder City Council based on our initial research, initiatives and input from the Climate Justice Leaders:
INCLUSIVE PARTICIPATION
- EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE POLICY TEMPLATE AND PROTOCOLS
- Generate a template for minimum standards and best practices by which equity considerations are integrated into planning, policies, and assessment.
- Increase communication between different City of Boulder organizational units in an effort to connect work relate to equity and sustainability.
- Increase willingness and practice of slowing down and listening to the needs of underrepresented communities.
- LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING
- The City should support projects that build the capacity and leadership skills of underrepresented people to participate effectively in shaping the City’s approach to sustainability and equity. This could build upon the successes of the JTC’s Climate Justice Leaders program.
- INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT FUND
- Build the capacity of community members directly impacted by environmental, economic and social problems and underrepresented in policy-making processes.
- Support underrepresented constituents to join all City governance boards and committees.
- Partner with the County to support efforts such as the People Engaged in Raising Leaders (PERL) program.
- Increase partnerships with organizations and communities that center equity.
- Provide relevant expertise on inclusive engagement, offer inclusivity and equity trainings, and review new plans and initiatives in relation to equity concerns.
- Make funding accessible without major time investment in the application process by relevant organizations that often have limited capacity and resources.
- Reach decisions with representation from directly impacted constituents.
- INCLUSIVE EQUITY TRAINING FOR CITY STAFF AND REPRESENTATIVES
- Predictable long-term funding and a commitment to extending this work to all agencies, boards and commissions.
- Trainings that respond to the specific concerns of underrepresented agency members and constituents.
- Trainings that ensure that communications efforts appropriately center equity and sustainability from the beginning.
- Highly professional translation and interpretation staff.
INCLUSIVE PROJECTS AND POLICIES
- JOB TRAINING FOR AN INCLUSIVE GREEN WORKFORCE
- SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT LANDSCAPING
- STRUCTURES FOR INCLUSIVE GREEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
- ROBUST WORKER PROTECTIONS AND A LIVING WAGE
- HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CHILDCARE REFORMS
- A JUST TRANSITION INDEX