Equitable and Just National Climate Platform

Equitable and Just National Climate Platform

Aug 15, 2019

https://ajustclimate.org/


For the first time, a group 100 environmental justice and national environmental groups have come together to advance an equitable and just national climate platform.

This historic, bold platform -- which can be found at AJustClimate.org -- highlights priority outcomes for a national climate policy agenda. 

The platform advances the goals of economic, racial, climate and environmental justice to improve the public health and wellbeing of all communities, while tackling the climate crisis.

Systemic racism and injustice has left economically disadvantaged communities, tribal communities and communities of color exposed to the highest levels of toxic pollution, and the most vulnerable people subject to more powerful storms and floods, more intense heat waves, more deadly wildfires, more devastating droughts, and other threats from the climate crisis threats. These communities  also have the least resources to prepare for and recover from the effects of the climate crisis, including more extreme weather.

Compounding the pollution burden in these communities is growing income inequality, which is dividing our nation. The wealthiest few amass vast resources while leaving most people behind.
This is a critical moment to define bold and equitable climate solutions that address the legacy of environmental racism, while rebuilding our economy in ways that work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. 

This historic platform lays out our shared vision, our goals, and our commitment to work together as partners and allies so that we can -- and will -- achieve these goals together.

By advancing this bold platform together, we hope that it will draw support from presidential candidates and policy-makers from all parties, and other partners and allies.
 
We propose to:
  • Enact solutions that address the legacy of pollution: Ambitious climate solutions must acknowledge and address the legacy of pollution and other environmental harms in overburdened communities.
  • Make justice and equity a priority: Unless justice and equity are central aspects of our climate agenda, the inequality of the carbon-based economy will be replicated as we build a new clean and renewable energy economy.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas pollution: Meeting U.S. climate goals must also reduce locally harmful air pollution that disproportionately affects low-income areas and communities of color.
  • Transition to a clean energy future: Investments must be made to extend high-quality clean energy jobs, health protections, job-training programs, and fair and equitable working conditions to all communities, especially those with high underemployment and unemployment and those historically reliant on fossil fuel energy.
  • Reduce transportation pollution: Transportation is now the nation’s largest source of climate pollution today. We must rebuild our transportation system so that it is fair, equitable, clean, and improves people’s mobility as it cleans up the air.
  • Rebuild infrastructure and housing: They must better withstand the harmful impacts of climate change in all communities.
  • Demand a just national climate agenda: It must provide sustainable investment for mitigation and adaptation that will not impose an undue social and economic cost to overburdened and vulnerable communities.
  • Be on a pathway to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius: The United States must commit to ambitious emission reduction goals and contribute equitably to global efforts to stabilize the climate system by limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To be successful, we must firmly be on this path by 2030.
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