Policy

Climate Justice Policy Advocacy

Climate Justice

Climate Generation supports local, regional, national, and international climate justice policy as one way to challenge the oppressive structures and systems at the root of the climate crisis. Through political education, advocacy skill building, and campaign connection, we aim to grow community capacity for co-creating a world beyond climate crisis.

Climate Justice Education Bill

Climate justice education examines the intersection of climate and other social issues such as wealth, gender, disability, sexual identity, and race. It provides youth with the skills and knowledge they need to help create climate solutions that benefit all people and address the intersecting root causes of the climate crisis.

Youth from Climate Generation’s YEA! program see a critical need for climate justice education in schools and have taken action by writing and stewarding a Climate Justice Education Bill through the Minnesota state legislature that would create K-12 climate justice education materials for Minnesota teachers of all subject areas. This bill is still making its way through the legislature and needs your support!

Coalition Work

In addition to our Climate Justice Education bill, Climate Generation is actively working in coalition with other organizations on several climate justice initiatives. Our work in these coalitions centers the leadership and voices of those most impacted by the climate crisis, offers leadership development opportunities to navigate advocacy work, and keeps our community up-to-date on actions they can take for many different but intersecting climate justice issues.

Check out our coalition work!

In 2023, the Ethnic Studies coalition led the efforts of having a K-12 curriculum that shares the accurate history of other cultures and it passed! We are now supporting the coalition’s efforts to implement the bill and protecting the future of Ethnic Studies.

The Frontline Communities Protection Coalition helped pass the 2023 version of the Cumulative Impacts law, which gives over polluted communities more of a voice on what buildings move into their neighborhoods. Over polluted communities face the burden of big polluting facilities entering their neighborhoods without their consent. The law requires all facilities that want to move into these neighborhoods to complete a Cumulative Impacts law when they apply or renew their air permits.

As members of the Twin Cities Boulevard coalition, we are supporting Our Streets in their highway removal effort – Reimaging I-94. This project advocates communities who are experiencing climate injustice from I-94. Specifically, our BIPOC neighbors who experienced harm due to the discriminatory displacement and redlining caused by the construction of I-94 and the continued harm caused by the highway as it pollutes and disrupts the surrounding neighborhoods.

For over a decade, an incinerator owned by Hennepin County has been polluting the Northside of Minneapolis, its most racially and economically diverse neighborhood. Northside residents have been advocating for the closure of this incinerator to stop the harm caused by its pollution. We are supporting advocacy efforts being led by the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table by advocating at the county, local, and state levels.

As we advocate for the closure of Minneapolis’ harmful incinerator (see the Zero Burn Coalition) it is important to simultaneously advocate for cleaner ways of handling our waste. The Zero Waste coalition is working towards educating the community about how we can create and live in a zero waste society.

International Climate Policy Work – United Nations Climate Conferences

Each year we send delegations of youth, educators, and multi-sector representatives to participate in the U.N. Climate Negotiations: the Conference of the Parties (COP).

Advocacy Resources

Together we can make change so check out these ways to plug into climate justice policy advocacy!

Policy Updates

  • Student activists

    Support Climate Justice Education in Minnesota

  • Ramsey County Climate Conversation

    Building Community Virtually and In-Person

  • COY

    Young People Demand Climate Justice Following LCOY USA