Climate Action and Local Decision-Making: Ensuring Benefits for Low-Income Communities and Communities of Color

BCLI Wednesday Night Panel Series
Climate Action and Local Decision-Making: Ensuring Benefits for Low-Income Communities and Communities of Color
September 29, 2010

We already know that the negative effects of climate change will disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Increased investments in energy efficiency, municipal water systems, and other retrofit programs to support reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and to address additional climate change concerns can and should also carry with them benefits for low-income communities and communities of color that include job creation.

This panel explores how we can best carry out local climate work as local Energy and Climate Action Plans languish in these tough economic times. Panelist engage in a pragmatic, realistic discussion about how local climate action projects can not only be accomplished through innovative financing, but can also achieve social equity goals.

Click on the links below to view the speakers' bios, hear the podcast of their presentation, and download handouts.

Speakers
    * Vivian Chang, Director of State and Local Initiatives, Green For All
    * Tommy T. Moala, Assistant General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
    * Romel Pascual, Deputy Mayor for the Energy and the Environment, Los Angeles Mayor's Office
    * Dave Room, Clean Energy Director, Bay Localize

Handouts
   * Clean Energy Works Portland: A National Model for Energy-Efficiency Retrofits
   * Community Workforce Agreement on Standards and Community Benefits in the Clean Energy Works Portland Pilot Project
   * Community High Road Agreement: for Seattle’s Residential Retrofit Programs