At a community meeting earlier this year, we met with and heard from different Portland residents about their experiences coping with extreme weather events:
A mother bundles her children in layers of clothing—long sleeves, thick sweaters, and fleece pants—while grabbing every blanket she can find to keep them warm in their home during the winter time.
Someone else is shutting all their doors and windows, restricting themselves to only specific areas of their home to stay cool, and drawing curtains all day to block out the heat on a record-breaking summer day.
Another person moves all their food from the fridge to their car outside when the power goes out, trying to save whatever they can.
What do these experiences have to do with environmental justice policy?
While all Oregonians are experiencing the effects of climate change, Black, Brown, and low-income communities are disproportionately enduring the consequences of more extreme weather, increasing energy costs, and growing environmental hazards.
That’s why we are committed to amplifying the voices of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis and ensuring that community input drives policymaking decisions.
CCC’s Environmental Justice team presenting at the Environmental Grantmakers Association Retreat.
This year, we made significant strides in advancing energy justice. We remained committed to centering community voices by partnering closely with BIPOC leaders and the City of Portland to advocate for prospective tenants to have access to critical information about potential energy costs, indoor air quality risks, and access to cooling, and plan to continue our efforts in the coming years.
CCC Climate & Health Coordinator, Santi Sanchez, presenting at the intergeneration climate justice panel hosted by the Kresge Foundation.
As a result of this collaborative work, we are now sharing best practices for deep, community-driven environmental justice policy development with other jurisdictions across the state and working to show that equitable policies must be grounded in the lived experience of the most impacted communities.
Join us: Your generosity will strengthen our efforts so that the voices of frontline communities and their experiences shape how policies are formed and resources are distributed. Make a contribution to our end of year giving campaign. Thank you!
