Oregon Community Climate Investment Fund
Green Energy: A Better Environment for Our Communities
WHY SEEDING JUSTICE, WHY NOW?
From up-and-coming grassroots organizations to large-scale, regionwide community funds, Seeding Justice funds environmental work. Over the last few years, our ambition to lead environmental justice efforts in Oregon has grown to encompass the opportunity in the State of Oregon’s ground-breaking Climate Protection Program, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050.
We wish to support projects that reduce GHGs so that all Oregonians can lead healthier and safer lives—and to focus the investments on the communities across the state that are often overlooked. Black, Indigenous and people of color; youth and elders; people with low incomes, people who live in rural areas, and who live with disabilities: all have been disproportionately impacted by the degradation of our environment.
That has to stop. No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all want our families to have the freedom to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and live in healthy communities.
HISTORY
In late 2023, Seeding Justice had been selected by Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality as the Community Climate Investments Entity for their Climate Protection Program.
In this leadership role, we would have worked with community to support clean energy projects and improve public health, the environment, and the economies of environmental communities. However, because of a lawsuit led by the fossil fuel industry, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that the state program was invalid, due to a procedural technicality.
So, on Earth Day 2024, we launched the Oregon Community Climate Investment Fund—not affiliated with the DEQ—to explore and support a clean energy future that would be designed explicitly by and for our communities. We believe the leadership of those who face the steepest barriers will generate the best solutions, so we’ve been eager to learn what projects matter the most to our communities and support innovative ways to get them more funding to do this work.
TODAY
We have again applied to be the Community Climate Investments Entity for the DEQ’s Climate Protection Program which, after a new rulemaking process, was relaunched. We see this as an opportunity to fulfill our commitment to environmental justice communities. This is critical work for our region and our planet.
While preparing for the selection process, we’ve been bolstering our capabilities to meet the new rulemaking requirements. We’ve added expertise, strengthened partnerships, and embarked on a community-mapping process. Over the course of the past couple of years, we’ve conducted extensive statewide community outreach and engagement. Should we be chosen by the state, this will give us a head start on the work to reduce GHG emissions and bring co-benefits to our communities.
Taking Seeding Justice’s Commitment to Environmental Justice and Economic Development to a Bigger Stage
Watch Executive Director Se-ah-dom Edmo bring Seeding Justice’s vision of an inclusive green economy to life. And join us in making this vision a reality.
We were excited to attend the Clinton Global Initiative from September 23-25, 2024 during New York’s bustling climate week. Executive Director Se-ah-dom Edmo amplified our commitment to galvanizing investment in community-driven clean energy projects.
Seeding Justice’s commitment is a crucial step in our mission to confront the entrenched inequity caused by burning fossil fuels. By investing in community-driven clean energy projects, we are dedicated to addressing our nation’s historic and ever-present disparities. We believe those most threatened by our changing planet must be at the forefront of developing solutions.
Our fund aims to repair past injustices by fostering economic development and democratizing clean energy, seeding an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
Join Seeding Justice in Building Oregon’s Clean Energy Future
Oregonians are feeling the impacts of our rapidly changing climate – from wildfires to deadly heat waves to record-breaking droughts. We can’t wait when it comes to climate change.
We can do something about it.
Seeding Justice launched the Oregon Community Climate Investment Fund to support a community-centered, clean energy future. We believe the leadership of those who face the steepest barriers will generate the best solutions, so we’re eager to learn what projects matter the most to our communities.
Community-led solutions will make our air cleaner, our homes safer, and lead to a more sustainable future for generations to come.
Note: This fund is not currently affiliated with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Climate Protection Program (CPP).
“Climate leadership is critical to the health of Oregon’s people and industries. We must drive the progress needed for our state to re-emerge as a leader in the growing clean economy and to create healthier communities,” says Tim Miller, Director of Oregon Business for Climate.
We can't do this urgent work alone.
We’re partnering with foundations, businesses, and individuals to raise the necessary funds and expertise.
Black, Indigenous and people of color; youth and elders; and people with low incomes, who live in rural areas, or who live with disabilities, have been disproportionately impacted by climate change. That has to stop. No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all want our families to have the freedom to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and live in healthy communities.
We anticipate supporting projects like:
- Renewable energy, including solar panels on rural homes and small businesses statewide
- Building energy efficiency through installation of new equipment and increasing weatherization for homes, critical community spaces and commercial buildings
- Transportation decarbonization through vehicle and fleet electrification
These projects–designed, implemented, and built by Oregon nonprofits and socially and environmentally responsible businesses–will help our state build a flourishing clean energy economy.
“Seeding Justice has the right approach and the right plan,” says Miller. “Working together, we can deliver measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, while equitably supporting people in all parts of our state.”