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Climate Action Plan

Organizations We Admire - Missions, Goals, and Programs

 

As students, it's important that we understand the work others are already doing to learn from and directly contribute to...

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Click an Organization to Learn More

Front and Centered

King County K4C

Climate Solutions

Project Drawdown

King County Climate Action Plan

People for Climate Action

Front & C
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Front and Centered

 

Front and Centered is a coalition of more than 60 POC-owned and operated organizations and groups representing frontline communities in Washington State. 

Mission

Prioritize low-income communities and communities of color in climate and sustainability decisions and discussions aligning with the Principles for Climate Justice

Goals

Amplify and elevate minority voices through a multifaceted approach that includes partnership building, collaboration, policy research and advocacy, grassroots mobilization, fund development, and storytelling

Accomplishments

Engaging citizens to vote for critical statewide policies prioritizing equity

Facilitating community-led research, allowing for communities of color to document and describe inequitable environmental health risks

Programs

Our People, Our Planet, Our Power - Community-led research report

Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map - Maps environmental health risks for community members to assess their living conditions and learn about their community

Opportunities for Collective Impact 

Learning: The work of Front and Centered will become part of the ongoing syllabus for training student Ambassadors, and, by extension our peers, on climate justice principles and local opportunities for service learning 

Internship: We collaborate with and assist Front and Centered member organizations in workforce development internships, supporting diversity hiring goals

Outreach: Ambassadors can assist Front and Centered communications and outreach efforts by sharing tools, data, and success stories at Sustainability Ambassador signature events to inform and engage peers, parents, the classroom, policymakers, and the general public

Public Accountability: Ambassadors can regularly address city staff and elected officials with ideas, energy, and urgency related to climate justice, leading by our own example and expecting our leaders to do more 

Problem-Based Curriculum Design: Ambassadors can support teachers by curating resources related to local climate justice issues, developing youth-voiced videos, and modeling student-led impact project design, data collection, and stakeholder reporting

K4C
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King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C)

 

The King County-Cities Climate Collaboration is a partnership between the King Country government and 17 cities to coordinate and effectively lead collective, but local and sustainable climate action. 

 

Mission

Elevate and support projects and programs in topics like renewable energy, sustainable education, outreach, and transportation. 

 

Goals

Set and adopt consistent standards, benchmarks, strategies, and overall goals related to responding to climate change across partner cities in King County

 

Accomplishments

Engaging over 17 cities in King County, representing 1.6 million people and *0% of the King County population as of April 2019

Guiding local government action with the development of a climate action toolkit through informed suggestions on land use, population, energy supply, and transportation patterns

Showcasing city-led projects with measurable impacts, including 

 

Programs

Forest Carbon Program - This program is a section of this region’s Land Conservation Initiative, whose goal is to protect public greenspaces and trails for the benefit of a clean urban environment, salmon and wildlife conservation, and a healthy community.

Climate Health Action Team

 

Opportunities for collective impact and synergies

Personal Accountability: Ambassadors can design and implement personal, household, or classroom Impact Projects that show a direct, positive impact on one or more of the K4C climate action goals. 

Outreach: Ambassadors can assist the cities where we live with communications and outreach efforts by sharing tools, data, and success stories at Sustainability Ambassador signature events to inform and engage peers, parents, the classroom, policymakers, and the general public.

Public Accountability: Ambassadors can regularly address city staff and elected officials with ideas, energy, and urgency, leading by our own example and expecting our leaders to do more. 

Problem-Based Curriculum Design: Ambassadors can support teachers by curating resources related to K4C commitments and progress reports, developing youth-voiced videos, and modeling student-led impact project design, data collection, and stakeholder reporting.

PCA
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People for Climate Action (PCA)

 

People for Climate Action is a coalition of local grassroots groups, raising positive voices to ask for stronger climate action in our county and our cities. 

Mission

Help local governments develop and implement comprehensive climate action plans to reach the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration, which include a 50% reduction by 2030.

Goals

King County and cities create, adopt, and implement comprehensive and measurable Climate Action Plans to achieve K4C targets

County and cities monitor progress and adjust plans to meet K4C targets

 

Accomplishments

More than a dozen PCA city groups have formed and are actively working with local officials

PCA groups, with the support of officials and city staff, have helped catalyze efforts to strengthen Climate Action Plans in multiple cities, for example, Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and others

The PCA Coalition worked with King County officials to outline the key elements for a Climate Action Plan “Toolkit” being developed by the County for cities to use

Opportunities for collective impact 

Youth Advocacy: Advocacy is a crucial part of raising local voices to ask for stronger climate action. Through Sustainability Ambassadors events and training sessions, students receive Advocacy Training to develop the ability to speak to decision-makers, effectively, and in their own voices.

SCAP
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King County - Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP)

The King County Strategic Climate Action Plan provides a “one-stop-shop” for county decision-makers, employees and the general public to learn about the County’s climate action goals, priorities and commitments.

Mission

Create a five-year blueprint for King County action to confront climate change

Goals

Integrate climate change into all areas of County operations 

Accomplishments (Top Three)

Leading transition to transit powered by clean, renewable energy

Accelerating the pace to permanently protect open space

Surpassing goal to plant 1 million trees (making King County the nation’s first local government to offer certified carbon credits that protect local forests)

Additional accomplishments can be found here

Programs

Climate Equity Community Task Force (CECTF) - As part of King County’s commitment to action on climate change, equity and social justice, the Plan now includes a new Sustainable & Resilient Frontline Communities section being developed through a community-driven process guided by this Task Force

Periodic GHG Emissions assessments - King County conducts periodic carbon footprint assessments and this reporting identifies sources and trends, as well as providing a wedge analysis highlighting the potential impact of key variables

Carbon Neutral Implementation Plan - This Plan provides a roadmap to achieve the County’s Carbon Neutral Plan by highlighting specific approaches and targets 

Opportunities for collective impact and synergies

Outreach: Ambassadors can assist County communications and outreach efforts by sharing tools, data, and success stories at Sustainability Ambassador signature events to inform and engage peers, parents, the classroom, policymakers, and the general public.

Public Accountability: We monitor Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) progress and performance - advocating to ensure that stated goals are accomplished.

Problem-Based Curriculum Design: Ambassadors can support teachers by curating resources related to the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan, developing youth-voiced videos, and modeling student-led impact project design, data collection, and stakeholder reporting.

Mentorship: We actively seek advice and mentorship from King County Staff and Elected Officials to amplify our shared mission.

Internship: We support the County on a variety of workforce development internships, supporting diversity hiring goals.

Impact Projects: We lead by example, and measure our results, to demonstrate our alignment and contribution to accomplishing the goals of the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan. 

Climate Solutions
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Climate Solutions

 

Climate Solutions is a Northwest-based nonprofit that catalyzes partnerships, innovations, and communication to advance the transition to an equitable economy.

Mission

Accelerate clean energy solutions to the climate crisis by ending unproductive practices and championing pathways to a sustainable future

Goals

Inspire the conversion to a 100% clean and efficient economy beneficial to all communities, and spread their work across the region and the nation

Accomplishments

The New Energy Cities program partnered with Northwest cities and counties, including K4C, to help local communities accelerate carbon emissions reduction through the implementation of clean energy transition planning and goal-setting

Programs

Power Past Coal - This is a coalition of over 100 organizations united to help stop coal exports off the West Coast

Standing Up to Oil - An alliance between groups advocating for a decrease in oil transport in the Northwest and transition off fossil fuel energy by supporting clean energy investments

Opportunities for collective impact and synergies

Outreach: Ambassadors can assist Climate Solutions communications and outreach efforts by sharing tools, data, and success stories at Sustainability Ambassador signature events to inform and engage peers, parents, the classroom, policymakers, and the general public.

Problem-Based Curriculum Design: Ambassadors can support teachers by curating resources related to Climate Solutions’ goals, programs, and accomplishments, developing youth-voiced videos, and modeling student-led impact project design, data collection, and stakeholder reporting.

Mentorship: We actively seek advice and mentorship from Climate Solutions  Staff to amplify our shared mission.

Internship: We can partner with Climate Solutions on a variety of workforce development internships, supporting diversity hiring goals.

Impact Projects: We lead by example, and measure our results, to demonstrate our alignment and contribution to accomplishing the goals of Climate Solutions.  

Drawdown
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Project Drawdown

Project Drawdown shares a powerful resource of climate solutions created by a coalition of scientists to increase widespread awareness and understanding of climate solutions.

 

Mission

Help the world reach “Drawdown” (the point when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere start to decline) as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.

 

Goals

Stop global warming with solutions that exist today by creating and sharing strategies to achieve Drawdown to a wide audience

 

Programs

Drawdown Research: A network of research fellows determining if achieving drawdown is possible using existing climate solutions

Drawdown Learn: An initiative to encourage learning about their climate solutions, primarily to partner organizations. Some Drawdown Learn partners include:

Ecochallenge dot org (hosted Drawdown Ecochallenge)

Omega Institute (hosted Drawdown Learn Conference)

Solutions Journalism Network (created Climate Solutions Teaching Collectives)

Drawdown Labs: A program launching in September, which will help business leaders address climate change

Drawdown Communities: A project focusing on sharing the stories of communities who have used the drawdown framework as a basis for climate action

 

Accomplishments

Amassed vast amounts of accessible information describing, supporting, and appraising a broad range of climate solutions 

Established collaborators to use and provide feedback on the drawdown solutions including Climate.careers, Nurses Drawdown, and the Global Cooling Prize

 

Opportunities for collective impact and synergies

Outreach: Ambassadors can assist Project Drawdown communications and outreach efforts by sharing tools, data, and success stories at Sustainability Ambassador signature events to inform and engage peers, parents, the classroom, policymakers, and the general public.  

Problem-Based Curriculum Design: Ambassadors can support teachers by curating resources related to Project Drawdown solutions, developing youth-voiced videos, and modeling student-led impact project design, data collection, and stakeholder reporting.

Mentorship: We actively seek advice and mentorship from Project Drawdown   Staff and Fellows to amplify our shared mission.

Impact Projects: We lead by example, and measure our results, to demonstrate our alignment and contribution to accomplishing Project Drawdown solutions.  

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