Campaigns
Opportunity Starts at Home
Our Climate is advocating for federal and state-level policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a just transition to clean energy. Our young leaders contribute to state campaigns through legislative advocacy, creative organizing, and media engagement.
We are most active in the following campaigns:New York
Our Climate’s New York team is proud to advocate for policies that center climate, jobs, and justice. As an active steering committee member of the NY Renews coalition, Fellows, Field Representatives and Field Advisors work to hold New York State accountable for implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act while advocating for climate action, good green jobs, and environmental, economic, and racial justice with the Climate and Community Investment Act.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 19: People attend the Rally to #SealTheDeal for Climate, Jobs, Care, and Justice during the #SealTheDeal Actions for Climate, Care, Jobs, and Justice national day of action at Battery Park on August 19, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Green New Deal Network)
Highlights from the past year include:
- Participating in NY Renews’ Albany rally at the Capitol ($15 Billion Before It’s Too Late!)
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- Working closely with NY Renews and WE ACT for Environmental Justice to pass the Cumulative Impacts Bills (S.8830 & A.210D)
- Mobilizing over 388 young people to advocate for climate justice policy
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- Hosting 10 legislative advocacy events
Massachusetts
Our Climate’s Massachusetts team is proud to fight for and build the relationships that will win science-based, equitable policy in our home state. We help hold and support relationships across the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition (purpose statement), as well as supporting their specific policy principles (policy principles). We also build a vision for intergenerational climate justice by collaborating with our adult partners like 350 Mass, MA Climate Action Network, and UU Mass Action in adult-led coalitions like Mass Power Forward.
Some highlights from this year include:
- Training, supporting, and empowering over 193 youth leaders
- Engaging over 965 youth through various organizing efforts such as rallies, Earth Month events, and more
- Hosting the annual 2023 Lobby Week with over 150 youth participants
- Rewriting and lobbying for an Interdisciplinary Climate Justice Education bill
- Testifying in committee, delivering speeches, and planning events for the Make Polluters Pay campaign
- Supporting the People’s House Transparency campaign advocating for public committee votes and the removal of the state’s exemption from the Open Meeting and Open Record Law
- Supporting campaigns for an Indoor/Outdoor Air Quality bill and other legislative priorities of the EJ table and Indigenous Legislative Agenda
Want to join the team? Email Eben Bein, Massachusetts Field and Education Manager at Eben@ourclimate.us
Florida
Our Climate’s Florida team is proud to fight for and build the relationships that will win science-based, equitable policy in our home state as many cities are already seeing the effects of climate change. Fellows, Field Representatives and Field Advisors work to hold the Florida legislature and Members of Congress accountable for adapting to the current effects, but also mitigating future effects and protecting frontline communities that are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.
Highlights from the past year include: - Mobilizing young voters across the state by hosting six youth outreach events on college campuses leading up to the Midterm Election;
- Celebrating the veto of the harmful anti-net metering bill that our team advocated against
- Mobilizing over 180 young climate advocates to act on climate
- Tabling, hosting outreach events, and visiting environmental clubs at college campuses in Miami and Gainsville
Oregon
Our Climate’s Oregon team is proud to fight for and build the relationships that will win science-based, equitable policy in our home state. We have developed a strong relationship with organizations across Oregon and are proud to now be a member of Divest Oregon coalition. Through this work we have empowered youth leaders from across the state to stand up and fight for equitable climate policy in Oregon.
A few highlights of the last year include:
- Mobilizing over 212 young people to advocate for climate justice policy
- Collaborating with Oregon Health Authority to raise awareness for the new Youth Mental Health report detailing how youth are impacted mentally by the climate crisis.
- Partnering with partnered with PCUN and VERDE to successfully push several climate priority bills across the finish line, including:
- The Farmworker Overtime Bill (Latinx Farmworker Union),
- Heat Relief Bill (provides emergency heat relief services to low-income households and BIPOC communities),
- SB 1518 (Building Efficiency Task Force),
- and HB 4077 (Environmental Justice for all).
- Partnering with partnered with PCUN and VERDE to successfully push several climate priority bills across the finish line, including:
Washington
Our Climate’s Washington team has developed a robust program across the state over the last few years. We have trained young climate justice leaders, organized events to get youth plugged into the political process, joined coalitions to bring the youth voice to the negotiating table, and mobilized young people in every legislative district to successfully advocate for bold and equitable climate policy.
Highlights from this year include:
- Collaborating with frontline communities across the state
- Advocating for climate justice bills, including
- The Growth Management Act’s HB 1099 (improving the state’s climate response
through updates to the state’s comprehensive planning framework), - HB1220 (supporting emergency shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations which will protect vulnerable communities from the effects of
climate change), - SB 5042 (reforming the Growth Management Act to protect forests and farms from harmful development)
- The Growth Management Act’s HB 1099 (improving the state’s climate response
- Building 78 legislative contacts
Federal
In September 2021, Our Climate launched our first Federal Youth Leader program! In the program’s second year we have welcomed 2 Fellows based in Washington, DC and Field Representatives from states around the country, including California, Texas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, New Jersey, and Maryland.
Highlights from this year include:
- Publishing letters to the editor, gathering petition signatures, and empowering student leaders to meet with their members of Congress
- Hosting advocacy events to build momentum for Congress to pass $555 billion in climate justice investments, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the United States’ transition to a clean energy economy
- Publishing letters to the editor, gathering petition signatures, and empowering student leaders to meet with their members of Congress
- Engaging over 1,200 young people to advocate for climate justice legislation
- Mobilizing young voters across the US to turn out in the 2022 midterm election
- Continued collaboration with partners including USCAN, InterAction, and People Vs. Fossil Fuels
If you’re interested in getting involved, please email Operations Manager Meg Bartley at Meg@ourclimate.us to be connected with our team on the ground.