In 2022, the Ecology Center along with a number of community partners launched the Climate Equity Collaborative (the CEC) that evolved to become a Community Advisory Committee (CAC).  Our goal in convening groups like CEC and the CAC is to amplify Black, Indigenous, Latino/Hispanic, Asian other People of Color (BIPOC), people who live with disabilities, elders, children and families, and others who experience marginalization in our communities. The goal is to elevate their experiences, and support their capacity to collaborate as community experts in developing and implementing climate change, environmental justice and resilience solutions.  The outcomes of this work have included:

• Supporting and advocating the elevation of the voices of organizations and community members that serve and represent communities who face disadvantage in civic processes related to climate resilience, electrification efforts, and environmental planning processes
• The increase in access to information, education, equipment, and resources for organizations and community members serving and representing communities facing historic marginalization as related to climate and environmental resilience 
• The broadening of the community network to build climate resilience and environmental justice to include organizations and community members serving and representing communities who face systemic disadvantage

PROJECTS 

From 2022-2024, the Ecology Center partnered with the City of Berkeley to increase the capacity of low-income, Black, Indigenous, Latinx/Hispanic, people of color, and other identities who’ve experienced marginalization. The goal was to increase access to climate education and distribute equipment and resources. The result of this work was the dissemination of education to over 175 individuals and the distribution of resources to over 125 community members. The Executive Summary for that CLIMATE EQUITY project can be read here.

From 2024-2025, the Ecology Center partnered with the City of Berkeley to facilitate equitable community engagement processes to support the development of the new Environmental Justice Element of the City’s General Plan, and to update the City’s Safety Element to incorporate Climate Adaptation and Resilience. This partnership was funded by the Governor’s office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. The final deliverables included the co-creation of these elements with Community Advisory Committee and their community members and the creation of metrics that incorporate equitable outcomes to monitor and evaluate progress towards meeting the City’s climate and resilience goals, which were established in the draft elements. For more information about the SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENT PROJECT and the development and approval by the City of Berkeley please visit the City’s website.

Are you part of a community group, community-based, or faith-based organization that works with or represents marginalized community members in Berkeley? Email us! 

DEFINING CLIMATE EQUITY 

Inequity can be defined as the phenomenon of individuals of different identities having differing access to a myriad of necessities like safe and stable housing, living-wage jobs, and affordable, healthy foods due to racism, ableism, ageism and other systemic forms of oppression. Achieving equity requires acknowledgement of this reality and systemic shifts to address imbalances. Equity is an ongoing process that requires identifying and challenging the structures that have created inequities.

Under the umbrella of equity, we think of climate equity as the just distribution of the benefits that come with climate readiness, voice in building climate resilience, and ultimately an eradication of unequal burdens created by climate change. Climate equity works to balance access to key resources, while protecting vulnerable communities and populations from environmental hazards, regardless of race, income, or other characteristics. Climate equity can be made possible by recognizing and addressing the unequal burdens made worse by climate change, while ensuring that all people, especially those most impacted by climate change, share the economic and social benefits of climate protection efforts. The EPA writes, “achieving equity means that all people—regardless of their race, color, gender, age, sexuality, national origin, ability, or income—live in safe, healthy, fair communities”.

Climate justice is a movement recognizing the disproportionate impacts climate change has on frontline communities. Not only is climate justice a movement, but it is a vision where systemic changes have been made to ensure a just future for all. Climate equity is integral to achieving climate justice. 

DEFINING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

The EPA’s definition of Environmental Justice is the following: “The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, income, and educational levels with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of protective environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Environmental Justice includes issues like the access of community members to public green space and outdoor recreation opportunities, tree canopy, air quality and addressing issues like vehicle and transportation pollution, manufacturing pollution and illegal dumping, among other issues.

SB 1000 mandates that California’s local governments each create an Environmental Justice Element of their General Plan that not only identifies the communities most impacted by environmental issues in the jurisdiction, but also facilitates transparency and engagement in the planning and decision-making processes, outlines steps to reduce harmful pollutants and associated health risks in those communities, and promotes equitable access to health-inducing benefits like public facilities, healthy food options, and recreation. The Ecology Center created an Environmental Justice Brochure that can be seen here for the community of Berkeley.

WHY DOES CLIMATE EQUITY and ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MATTER?

Climate change and environmental hazards are often unjust and inequitable; those most responsible for increased greenhouse gas emissions across the globe are most likely to be among the last to suffer from their impacts. Those most impacted by environmental contaminants are often those who are unable to move away or find alternative living options. Reaching a safe and stable climate and a healthy environment are not possible without addressing current and historic inequities. Climate equity and environmental justice ensures a just transition to a future in which all communities can thrive by following the lead of those most impacted and prioritizing their access to infrastructure for resilience and its associated benefits. It is used to address the socioeconomic, sociocultural, and physical impacts of climate change and environmental hazards and pollution. 

BACKGROUND & LOCAL HISTORY

The Ecology Center was founded in 1969 as one of the first action-oriented environmental organizations in the country. In the early days, the Ecology Center was a meeting place where environmental thinkers and activists gathered and distributed information through the bookstore, newsletter, library, and printing press. 

As an organization, we recognize that there are multiple systems of oppression and extraction that have created the climate crisis, and that have put BIPOC communities at the frontlines of experiencing the impacts of climate change first and worst. With this theory of change, our organization’s program areas are aimed at building a healthier and more just future for the East Bay port community ecosystem. For example, our Food & Farming work addresses the lack of healthy food access, as well as the unsustainable nature of large scale international agriculture. Other recent examples of this strategy include getting rid of disposable carry-out bags across the state of California (in 2016) and creating a phase shift in the battles against Big Soda by passing the nation’s first soda tax (in 2014). In each of these efforts, we punched above our weight by building a strong, local coalition to start the efforts in our communities and then partnered with organizations that could help spread our success.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Our work to convene the community organizations to drive climate equity and environmental justice has been funded through the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the City of Berkeley’s Climate Equity Fund. The Berkeley Climate Equity Fund itself was created as a means to address structural barriers to climate resilience by investing in communities most affected by the impacts of climate change. Often identities such as being BIPOC or low-income compound one’s risk for facing hasher impacts of climate change. As the first city to enforce single family zoning, the City of Berkeley has played a significant role in disenfranchising communities of color, in terms of access to housing and economic opportunities – both of which contribute to climate injustice. By prioritizing marginalized communities, this work is a step in the right direction. 

Are you part of a community group, community-based, or faith-based organization that works with or represents marginalized community members in Berkeley? Email us!