In 2024, ClimatePlan was selected to be the California anchor organization for a national network focused on Clean RIDES: Responsible Investments to Decrease Emissions in States.
As a statewide network, ClimatePlan's work regularly brings together non-profits, community based organizations, and advocates across California focused on reducing the impact of transportation emissions and vehicle miles traveled through state, regional, and local policy. Most of ClimatePlan's day-to-day work takes place remotely and is oriented around workgroups for policy areas as well as tables of groups in our network based in specific regional contexts.
On July 31, 2024, ClimatePlan brought together 50 people representing groups from across the state for a day-long, in-person convening at The Greenlining Institute's office in Oakland, CA.
ClimatePlan's 2024 Clean RIDES Convening
The purpose of our July 2024 convening was to identify shared policy priorities within the ClimatePlan network around the framing of Clean RIDES, and to start developing a campaign plan and shared vision for how the ClimatePlan network will work over the next few years to achieve our shared goals. This was the first time ClimatePlan has had an in-person convening of our full network since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the day was also oriented around the opportunity to meet and connect with other organizations and learn and share lessons from the wealth of experiences and contexts in the room.
The ClimatePlan team stands amidst crowded tables as attendees begin to introduce themselves for the day
The convening was scheduled out into multiple breakouts and full group discussions, starting with mapping our existing work across California's different regions and compiling alignment around policy strategies. We then took some time to narrow in discussion on political landscapes and what it would take to affect change with the power of our coordinated efforts across multiple policy areas. The day wrapped with an open discussion on ClimatePlan's structure and gaps to fill, and direction for growing our coalition and scaling up our efforts in this coming year.
Attendees participating in small group discussions throughout The Greenlining Institute's office. In the background of conversations are maps of communities detailing historic redlining, butcher paper with sticky notes, bikes that some attendees rode to the convening, and murals decorating the office including the quote "We envision a nation where communities of color thrive and race is never a barrier to economic opportunity".
In addition to ClimatePlan's staff and board, participants in the convening represented a broad range of organizations including:
350 Bay Area, 350 Sacramento, ACT LA, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), American Lung Association, America Walks, Bike East Bay, California Bicycle Coalition, Catholic Charities, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), Civic Thread, Climate Resolve, Coalition for Clean Air (CCA), Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), Enterprise Community Housing, Environmental Health Coalition, Genesis, Happy City Coalition, Move LA, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), NextGen Policy, PolicyLink, Public Advocates, Rails to Trails Conservancy, Regenaracion, Rise South City, San Diego 350, Seamless Bay Area, SPUR (San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association), The Greenlining Institute, TransForm, Urban Habitat
Group photo of convening attendees in front of a mural outside of The Greenlining Institute's office
As we look back on the following year and ahead to the next, the ClimatePlan team is excited to continue to work with you in growing our network and building the power of our movement.