Over the last year there have been many changes at ClimatePlan. While operating with a decreased capacity, ClimatePlan has been able to continue advocating for equitable climate solutions that protect our health, communities, and environment. On the other hand, we have been spreading ourselves thin to get it done. That makes this announcement so exciting - the ClimatePlan team has doubled in size! 

Stay tuned for more updates on how the ClimatePlan team will be dividing the work. In the meantime feel free to reach out and say hello.

Meet the new ClimatePlan team!

Today Governor Newsom released his budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, “The California Blueprint,” and we are cautiously excited.

According to the Legislative Analyst Office, there will be a $31 billion budget surplus for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. As ClimatePlan highlighted last month in this blog, there is also $44.5 billion in federal infrastructure money headed to the state as well. California is living up to the Golden State moniker. The question is will Governor Newsom use this funding to invest in his bold and ambitious climate agenda?

As Governor Newsom prepares the budget, and directs federal funding, we hope to see many of the below programs prioritized. This list is not exhaustive, it is merely a guide of existing programs that advance ClimatePlan’s values of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing vehicle miles traveled, increasing transit and active transportation access, and amplifying community voices. While some of these programs are not currently climate-friendly, new funding could be an opportunity to advocate for stronger climate requirements. 

If you are interested in getting involved in ClimatePlan’s efforts around aligning transportation funding to California’s climate goals contact Nailah Pope-Harden, [email protected].

In early November, a Bipartisan Federal Infrastructure Bill was signed into law. This has some positive and some concerning implications for ClimatePlanners throughout our state. Before we dive in, we should acknowledge the numerous articles that break down what exactly was in the bill, including the following links:

• Streetsblog: How the Infrastructure Deal will make transit better?
• NACo: Legislative Analysis of Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
• CalBike: How will the Infrastructure bill impact Bike Riders?
• White House factsheet: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Will Deliver for California.
• Vox: States Have The Power to Make or Break the Infrastructure Law.

We have been working diligently to build ClimatePlan’s Advisory Boards that will reflect diversity in issue area, perspective, background, and geography for the last several months. We believe, and have always believed, that no single organization can do this work alone. ClimatePlan has found strength in being a broad-based organization that convenes like-minded- and not-so- like minded groups together to drive transformative change. 

There are still several spots to be filled on our boards. If you are interested in ClimatePlan’s Governance Advisory Board or ClimatePlan’s Policy Advisory Board, please contact Nailah, [email protected]. 

In the meantime, allow me to introduce ClimatePlan’s new Advisory Board...