Equity & Social Justice

Ensuring the benefits and costs are distributed fairly across our entire community and engaging everyone in the planning

  • How can we design all climate strategies and associated actions to improve the equitable distribution of the benefits and costs of the changes being made?
  • How can we minimize negative impacts for all community members, including those who have historically been disadvantaged?

EQUITY

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY EQUITY?

Equity acknowledges that different people start in different places due to racist historical context and societal circumstances. Equity intends to “level the playing field” for everyone to achieve success equally.

STARTING LOCAL

Governments across the country are focusing on racial equity, which is critically important to driving larger systemic change. The City of Boulder has made equity a key priority in it’s work when developing policies, programs and services.

Local and regional governments have the ability to implement policy change at multiple levels and across multiple sectors. For our community to achieve long-term impact, changes must be sustainable for all.

Although climate change affects us all, the impacts are not shared equally. Climate change impacts compound socio-economic disadvantages born of decades of public disinvestment, government-promoted segregation, inequitable economic development and gentrification. Inequitable policies have long put communities of color and low-income communities directly in the line of impact.

• People of color are more likely to live in substandard housing that increases their exposure to health risks like poor indoor air quality.
• The geographic location of Communities of color often exposes people of color to increased environmental risks like flooding and pollution.
• People of color and other vulnerable populations face disproportionate risks of death and other impacts of extreme heat.
• Low-income communities are more likely to experience urban heat island effects, where an urban area is significantly warmer than surrounding areas.

WHY IT MATTERS FOR CLIMATE

HEAT AND INCOME – AURORA, CO

HEAT ISLAND EFFECT Source: NPR

OUR JOURNEY SO FAR

• Boulder established the Inclusiveness and Diversity Team, then partnered with CU’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement to start building a community network of partners.

2006

• Boulder refocused efforts around equity with trainings throughout the organization.
• The city supported the formation of the University of Colorado Just Transition Collaborative (JTC) and integrated into the Climate Commitment

2016

2017

• City Council added Boulder Revised Code Chapter for “Undocumented Person” and Community Perception Assessments on issues and trends around safety, equity, diversity and inclusivity.

OUR JOURNEY SO FAR

• The city initiated racial equity work throughout the organization.
• The city participated in the JTC’s “Climate Justice Leaders Program”

2018

• Hundreds of city employees will be trained on racial equity work that will be required and offered to the entire organization, boards and council.

2019

PLANNED ACTIONS

• Multiple equity trainings for city staff at all levels of the organization
• Community engagement around the draft Racial Equity Plan
- - Collaborate and build relationships with equity partners
- - Establish a community engagement plan around racial equity
• Evaluate policies, programs and projects with an equity lens

GAME CHANGERS

The City of Boulder’s work to combat the effects of the climate crisis will only be successful and realized if the solutions mobilize all people. We must be inclusive and embrace our community’s diversity and equity which will make us stronger together.

Game changing actions will build the foundation of an organization that prioritizes equity as a key building block of a strong, welcoming and just community—one that is sustainable, resilient and equitable.

The CMAP goals must go beyond closing the gap. We must establish appropriate benchmarks that lift up all populations while paying close attention to those often excluded and most impacted.

HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE GAME?

...all people in Boulder – not just those with financial means – have the ability to tap into and adopt new technologies that save energy and money on utility bills

...we ensure equity partners, people of color and underrepresented and marginalized populations play a larger role in our government activities

...the city as a whole is dedicated to advancing racial and social equity in all departments throughout our local government

...we learn new ways to engage with community members that incorporate the spectrum of culture that exists across the city

...we support neighborhood gatherings where community members can lead the conversation around equity and climate change

WHAT IF ...

Local Organizations Addressing Equity

Working locally to help build the global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis and transition to a sustainable future.
advancing a healthy environment through arts, advocacy, education, and engagement of culturally diverse communities
Fostering collaboration and connectivity for justice-based climate action and impact in Boulder County, Colorado, the Hive informs, coordinates, and incentivizes collaboration across the climate justice movement, shifting the paradigm
Sustainable, Just-In-Time Food Rescue in Boulder, Colorado!
dedicated to creating affordable, community-enhancing, cooperative housing for the people of Boulder county
Dedicated to the sustainable protection, conservation, and restoration of naturally functioning ecosystems and the natural communities that depend upon them
an "engaged Buddhist" organization that brings together our spirituality, community building as well as strategic collective action
Creating a Culture of Opportunity for Homeless and Low Income Adults
encouraging direct community participation with the goal of providing solutions to the challenges of climate, social and economic justice
frontline community member-led collaborative that creates and applies a racial equity framework, shifting power structures and enacting just solutions to climate change.
united in taking action to mitigate the effects of climate change and to advocate in the Colorado and National legislatures for green laws and improved air quality
powering the grassroots effort to pass a statewide ballot initiative establishing common sense protections for our communities from the dangers of oil & gas development and fracking
Non-profit organization of bicyclists and supporters of bicycle transportation providing bicycle repair, recycling, donation and education to the community
Eliminating hunger in Boulder and Broomfield Counties through engagement, collaboration, and leadership.
created by and for Frontline communities to increase emergency preparedness
Growing a resilient movement with youth at the forefront by empowering them as leaders and amplifying their impact
empowering Latinx families to live, love, and embrace nature every day experience
Using non-violent civil disobedience to achieve radical change in order to minimize the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse
seeking to bridge social justice & environmental issues by providing leadership training, green job skills, & water & energy upgrades to underserved communities, while building partnerships between students, staff, & community members
Championing healthy food and clean water for all, standing up to corporations that put profits before people, and advocating for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment.
global network of people on the frontlines and donors comes together to support communities to protect their ways of life and our planet
building a local multi-faith climate and environmental movement in collaboration with other GreenFaith Circles worldwide
Growing Gardens
non-profit with the Mission to cultivate community through sustainable urban agriculture and Vision of people experiencing a direct and deep connection with food, the land and each other
Creating spaces for BIPOC and namely Indigenous People to learn to grow their own food through regenerative practices, and through traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge
Providing healthy supplemental food to Boulder families and individuals in need of food assistance within a safe, welcoming and non-judgmental environment
Leadership training for young people who are passionate about social and environmental justice
seeking to advance the vision and legacy of Dr. Joanna Macy’s work in order to empower present and future generations in building a more resilient world that works for all.
engaging in community partnerships, projects, and research to advance environmental justice in the transition to a sustainable economy
a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government and influencing public policy through education and advocacy
Seed company that aims to bring seeds back to the people - organically grown, often heirloom, locally grown when available and only open-pollinated
Elevating the voices of Coloradans around the state living near current and proposed oil and gas operations and for all concerned citizens working to pass balanced energy development policies that protect neighborhoods, homes, and our Colorado quality of life
working actively to address climate change issues that disproportionately harm communities of color
leading voice for young people in politics around the state
Organizing for sustainable equality with justice for all
supporting the most energy efficient building standard in the world through advocacy, trainings, and a supportive community
working at the intersection of art, music, and regenerative culture to offer people a pathway to take action locally where they live to create empowered communities
Nuclear, Guardianship, Global Peace, Social Justice, Nonviolent Education, Economic Justice, and Critical Media Literacy education and action groups focus on specific, interconnected issues and promote democratic participation by community members.
protecting and restoring the Colorado River and its tributaries from the source to the sea
national political rally fighting climate change and advocating for fast and effective legislation to do so
Working to extend the life of our exquisite biosphere via our environmental education, music, arts, media and business projects

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Learn More About Equity & Social Justice

from these helpful resources, websites, and stories

Input from Just Transition Collaborative

A report from the CU Boulder JTC informed the City on the ways that the Climate Plan could specifically benefit low-income Boulder residents and other socially and economically marginalized groups. The report was developed in partnership with CU Boulder faculty, program staff, and community-based organizations, and with input generated from several community workshops. Read story and the report

Six Ways Climate Change Is Hurting Coloradans

A recent tool published by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), a grantee of The Colorado Trust, dives deeper into the geographic disparities of climate change. CHI’s Health and Climate Index rates risk by exposure, demographics and readiness—high temperature and wildfire risk; vulnerable demographics like children, elders, people in poverty or with chronic diseases; and beliefs about global warming and public health department plans to fight or adapt to it.

Equity Resources and Info from Conservation Colorado

Conservation Colorado is committed to building a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization as part of a broader conservation movement that empowers people of color, frontline communities, and those who have historically carried the burdens of environmental injustice. Visit this page for links to more videos and resources.

Oil and Gas Drilling: Health Equity Stories from The Colorado Trust

Click Here for More Case Studies and Stories from The Colorado Trust

Providence shows other cities how environmental justice is done

So how did Providence, Rhode Island, which announced a standard, net-zero-by-2050 pledge in 2016, end up with a newly released Climate Justice Plan that looks so different from the parade of municipal “Green New Deals?” And could other cities get there, too?

Read Article in Grist |  Download the City of Providence’s Climate Justice Plan

Marin County’s Peoples’ Plan

“Designing Our Own Solutions” for Resiliency Planning was recognized by the Resilient by Design Jury for their impact in community capacity building, realigning power distributions and increasing ownership by people directly impacted by design decisions. Check out the plan and videos.