Desiree Williams-Rajee

ICYMI: Last week, City & State published a Q&A with Elijah Hutchinson about the #EJNYC Report and Mapping Tool. The publication does a fair job of summarizing the "so what?" of the effort: "The main conclusions of the report, which also identified structural racism and poverty as contributors to environmental injustice, were not all that surprising on their own given previous studies and reporting on environmental inequities. But the 274-page report and mapping tool bring much-needed detail to help understand specific environmental risks and make the case for funding to be directed to help address those risks." And on the subject of governance, I thought this was especially notable (take note, Los Angeles advocates): "Breaking the walls down between government and environmental justice advocates is really important for us because what our office is trying to do – which is very different from a traditional climate office – is we’re trying to center environmental justice within our already extremely ambitious climate agenda." Read more: https://lnkd.in/g3mxKHeH #environmentaljustice #climatejustice #climatechange #newyorkcity #climateresilience #climateadaptation

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"Under the current policy regime, municipalities are largely responsible for ensuring growth in high-risk areas will stand up to climate change. And while there are data gaps, municipalities generally know where their high-risk neighbourhoods are. The critical next step is disclosing and building for those risks. Unless flood risk is better reflected in zoning policies, there is real potential that many new homes are going to be in harm’s way. Given that B.C. will need an estimated 2.58 million new housing units by 2030 to accommodate population growth, communities cannot afford to be building in neighbourhoods that could soon be under water."

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Green spaces are Natural infrastructure - providing valuable services to communities. Where considering development in “greenfield” spaces, the value of the services already being provided by those spaces needs to be factored into the decision making process.

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I am excited to introduce the passionate members of the ICARP Climate Services team, who are dedicated to making climate data actionable, accessible, and empowering for decision-making. We work everyday to ensure that climate information supports equitable adaptation planning across all levels. Ben McMahan, Ankitha Doddanari, Mark Hedlund. A special mention to Nikki Caravelli, whose significant contributions to our Adaptation Clearinghouse project have set a lasting foundation. Thank you for your dedication! Climate Services Team portfolio include: 🌐 Curating Actionable Climate Data: Climate Services team focuses on curating, translating, and coordinating climate data to make it useful, usable, and used, supporting robust and equitable decision-making. 🔍 Enhanced User Engagement: Over the past year, we've deepened our engagement with communities to bridge the gap between the developers of climate tools and their users, enhancing climate resilience. 🛠️ Key Findings and Improvements: Our user needs assessment revealed a demand for more accessible resources, lower barriers to entry, and increased support. We are committed to improving navigation and content relevance in our tools. 🌟 Exciting Developments in Our Portfolio: ✔ Adaptation Clearinghouse: A key resource for climate resilience planning. ✔ Vulnerable Communities Platform: Under development to effectively map community climate vulnerabilities across the state. ✔ Next-Generation Cal-Adapt: We're involved in making the latest climate data widely accessible. Stay tuned as we continue to align our efforts with statewide climate adaptation strategies, ensuring our work empowers communities.

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As Hurricane Beryl crashes into the Texas coast, we're reminded that while the immediate impacts are dire, the long term consequences can be equally disastrous. In this piece, Michael T. Pugh and I argue that with more intense storms coming our way, we need to ensure that the most vulnerable communities - often the first hit and last to recover - are fortified for a changing climate future. In #WhatsPossible, some of the leading voices on climate and community development come together as one to show a roadmap for a cleaner, healthier, more resilient future for our frontline communities. Now more than ever, corporations, community groups, policymakers, financial institutions and climate advocates have an opportunity to combine financial resources and local expertise in ways that advance a just energy transition.

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**Earth Day Storytelling: A Call to Action for San Francisco** 🌉🌱 "San Francisco can be a beacon for what’s possible when you prioritize sustainability and climate action." These are not just words; they are a commitment—a vision I shared with Adam Shanks of the San Francisco Examiner. They reflect my unwavering belief in the positive, transformative power that bold climate action holds for our city and the world. 💡🏙️ Storytelling remains one of our greatest tools in addressing climate change. It starts with listening and sharing our views with one another. Today, I want to applaud the editorial team and reporters of the San Francisco Examiner for their special edition dedicated to #EarthDay. They have intricately woven together the many challenges and opportunities presented by the climate crisis, showcasing the innovative solutions emerging in our city. 📰🔍 The articles in this edition cover the spectrum—from the advancements and obstacles in our city’s climate action journey to the dynamic climate tech sector and the health ramifications of climate change. 🌳🏘️ I urge you all to read these insightful articles and share their stories. Let them educate you, resonate with you, and inspire you and others to take action. 📘💬 This Earth Day, let's do more than just admire the beauty and fragility of our planet. Let's recognize the collective strength we have to protect and enhance it. 🌎✨ Together, let's continue to light the path for others by carrying a torch of awareness and action into a greener future. 🔥🚶‍♂️ 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVxDbRJh Jessica Wolfrom #climateaction #sanfrancisco #bayarea

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Re-circulating another great piece about Tara Mahoney, CERi's Research and Engagement Lead, on intergenerational civic engagement, climate change, and the importance of hope. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gksBqq_U

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Echoing Green announces the launch of the Signal Fund, a financial tool that provides capital to social innovators at critical growth stages. Signal launches with $15.6 million raised and prioritizes founders with overlooked potential for scalable social impact. Signal Fund aims to test a new set of financial mechanisms and model more broadly accessible investment vehicles that can help fuel transformational social change and innovation globally. It will disrupt the current funding landscape that is misaligned with the needs of social innovators. “In the current economic climate, fundraising for entrepreneurs has become increasingly difficult,” said Echoing Green President, Cheryl L. Dorsey. “Through Signal Fund, we are strengthening and de-risking a new pipeline of social innovators — ones that we believe will expand the set of leaders who are too often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy and financial institutions. This fund can help proven social innovators move past the proverbial valley of death that so many start-ups face, achieving organizational milestones recognizable to traditional investors without compromising impact.” #YesWeInnovate https://lnkd.in/dgfjDqAd

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There is of course a deep irony at work here. The Building Resilience Coalition is essentially the cement industry whose primary product - concrete - is responsible for 8 per of global carbon emissions. These carbon emissions are driving climate breakdown which in turn leads to the Building Resilience Coalition arguing for more infrastructure to be built with ... you guessed it ... concrete! It's akin to the cigarette industry arguing that people with lung cancer, caused by smoking, can reduce the stress caused by their condition by smoking cigarettes. Time to call out the hypocrisy. Time to use less concrete and instead build more with timber. Find the full argument here: https://lnkd.in/e27HFtkJ

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Yes, interesting. In some senses the divide between fund holder org and mission-based org needs to be re-thought. How to deploy money well? Back the right teams..? Provide infrastructure around them? Some nodes in that innovation and delivery network might not be successful, but they do need nurturing and part of that is enough certainty (5 year blocks?)

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This is what #climate leadership looks like: "Climate justice becomes an all-city, all-bureau agenda. That’s the future of city governance: a focusing of purpose across all bureaus. Holding big businesses accountable for their #carbon footprint and then reinvesting that money back into impacted communities to repair harm is an incredible return on investment. This is how you rethink city leadership to fit the times." Way to lead, Portland. #climatejustice #cleanenergyfund Latest in Fast Company Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Southeast Sustainability Directors Network https://lnkd.in/eFEXVwGm

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To equitably address #ClimateChange, the Climate Protection Program must listen to environmental justice communities and invest in us. EJ communities face higher costs for utilities, worse air quality, and worse health outcomes. They're made up of people of color and low-income families who experience climate change first and worst. Right now, part of the Climate Protection Program that empowers and invests in EJ communities is under attack. Check out the new Climate Protection Program website to learn more and sign the petition: https://lnkd.in/gkrrdTTv The Climate Protection Program is a priority of Unite Oregon, Verde, Beyond Toxics, PCUN, and NEIGHBORS FOR CLEAN AIR.

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I'm wrapping up my draft of "Better Funding: Recommendations for State and federal agencies to drive energy and climate action through more effective investment in California local and tribal governments." You can access the link to the latest draft, and a summary table of ideas, via the linked article. The paper shares concerns, ideas, and practices for climate funding deployment mined from years of engagement with local, tribal, state, and federal governments and their partners. Ideas range from fairly basic ways to improve different stages of traditional competitive grantmaking, to more transformational solutions, including piloting a new funding deployment vehicle that aims to dramatically lower the burden on strained community capacity of accessing dollars for their climate needs. If you're organization wishes to sign-on, offer input, or participate in collaborative discussions on this topic with like-minded thought leaders, please contact me by May 31st at ahacker@prospersustainably.com.

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For governments looking to unleash the power of data to tell the story of alternative 911 emergency response - check out this article from Betsy Gardner profiling our work at the GPL and our new tool, Essential Metrics for Alternative Emergency Response Programs!

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Access to clean drinking water resources and funding shouldn’t have to be so onerous for rural communities. But it often is due to lack of capacity and workforce to ensure the huge grant applications and requirements are all completed correctly. But for Tribal communities, there are so many more layers of complexity and nuance that it can be extremely difficult to apply for funding. That’s why resources like this publication and targeted, trusted and timely technical assistance from organizations like Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and others are crucial to ensure that we don’t leave money on the table for these critical infrastructure projects.

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We’re accepting proposals from entities to help Washington communities access federal grant funding and tax assistance for clean energy projects. This funding was allocated through the Climate Commitment Act, with a large part of each program intended to support overburdened communities. The two appropriations are designed to support community-based organizations, local governments, ports, tribes, and other entities across the state. Federal Grant Writing Assistance Program • Pre-proposal conference: Wednesday, May 1 at 12 p.m. • Proposals due: Thursday, May 23 • Learn more: https://bit.ly/49Osbsy Federal Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program • Pre-proposal conference: Tuesday, May 7 at 3 p.m. • Proposals due: Thursday, May 30 • Learn more: https://bit.ly/3xCemQA

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There are some good lessons in here on how layering different models of shared equity ownership provides huge returns on a community's stability and opportunity. "A partnership with a CLT provides an extra layer to protect the long-term affordability of an LEC, while also providing ongoing support and technical assistance to the co-op. And by creating an umbrella entity under which multiple LECs exist, there are opportunities to take advantage of economies of scale that may not be possible with individual co-ops."

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#GettingtoGigatonne scale carbon removal will be one of the greatest grand challenges humanity has ever faced, and we are just getting started. Today we released a new report analyzing the Top 100 Teams in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal, using real data from their Feb 2024 submissions to the Finals of the competition. This data is a helpful benchmark for the industry, as it represents a diverse cohort of novel #CDR solutions from 25 countries across many pathways. These Teams are all currently removing CO2 or working to do so for the first time this year, a significant milestone for the industry. In addition to analyzing real kilotonne project operating data, this report looks at scaling trajectories and projections around building the first megatonne projects, and the larger impacts of scaling to gigatonne. Building a system to remove a kilotonne of carbon dioxide for the first time is a huge scientific and engineering accomplishment. We want to both celebrate these achievements, and recognize the distance still required to reach #climate relevant scales. The first gigatonne of CO2 removed will be the hardest, and we need to work together to get there. Download report here: https://lnkd.in/g2bR8KkW

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