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...
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.