Advancing Climate Justice in California: Guiding Principles and Recommendations for Policy and Funding Decisions August 2017

Transcription

1 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia: Guiding Principles and Recmmendatins fr Plicy and Funding Decisins August 2017 Prepared by the Climate Justice Wrking Grup

2 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia Climate Justice Wrking Grup: Origin and Objectives In Fall 2016, the Climate Justice Wrking Grup (CJWG), including envirnmental justice, public health, and climate equity leaders, cnvened t develp recmmendatins fr ensuring that the 2017 update f Safeguarding Califrnia Califrnia s climate change adaptatin strategy is respnsive t envirnmental justice and climate equity cncerns. As part f its wrk, CJWG reviewed past implementatin actin plans develped by state agencies pursuant t Gvernr Brwn s 2015 executive rder n climate change, and develped detailed and cmprehensive recmmendatins fr state adaptatin and resilience pririties. CJWG s wrk cvered the fllwing sectrs: agriculture, bidiversity and habitat, emergency management, energy, frestry, land use and cmmunity develpment, ceans and castal resurces, public health, transprtatin, and water. CJWG shared its reviews and recmmendatins with the Califrnia Natural Resurces Agency, Califrnia Department f Health, and Gvernr s Office f Planning and Research fr cnsideratin in the 2017 update f Safeguarding Califrnia. Building n these effrts, CJWG develped definitins f key cncepts including climate justice and climate vulnerability as well as guiding principles and recmmendatins fr Califrnia leaders t cnsider in future develpment and implementatin f climate change adaptatin plicies and funding decisins. Resurces Legacy Fund (RLF) supprted the develpment f this briefing paper s that CJWG s wrk can be shared with the public. Climate Justice Wrking Grup Members Amee Raval, Asian Pacific Envirnmental Netwrk Sarah de Guia, Califrnia Pan-Ethnic Health Netwrk Carline Farrell, Center n Race, Pverty and the Envirnment Lucas Zucker, Central Cast Alliance fr a Sustainable Ecnmy Janaki Jagannath, Cmmunity Alliance fr Agreclgy Ernest Areval, Cmmunities fr a Better Envirnment Alvar Sanchez and Sna Mhnt, Greenlining Institute Eleanr Trres, Incredible Edible Cmmunity Garden Vernica Garibay, Leadership Cunsel fr Justice and Accuntability Martha Arguell, Physicians fr Scial Respnsibility, Ls Angeles Chine Flegal and Erika Rincn Whitcmb, PlicyLink Ari Neumann, Rural Cmmunity Assistance Crpratin Glria Waltn, Strategic Cncepts in Organizing and Plicy Educatin (SCOPE) Anya Lawler, Western Center n Law & Pverty We wuld like t thank RLF fr supprting CJWG s wrk and acknwledge the Califrnia Natural Resurces Agency, Gvernr s Office f Planning and Research, and Califrnia Department f Public Health fr cnsultatin and supprt f climate justice principles in Califrnia s adaptatin planning and plicies. Vernica Garibay and Ernest Areval, C-chairs

3 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia Addressing the Impacts f Climate Change in Califrnia In Califrnia and arund the wrld, average temperatures are warming and the climate is changing as a result f nging anthrpgenic greenhuse gas (GHG) emissins. With Califrnia leading the way, significant effrts are underway t reduce GHG emissins and prevent the wrst-case scenaris f climate change and its effects n peple and the envirnment. Cntinuing leadership and actin are imperative in this regard. At the same time, Califrnia s peple are already experiencing the effects f climate change caused by past GHG emissins, and even under the best-case scenaris f future emissins, we will cntinue t experience changes t ur envirnment, cmmunities, and way f life. Califrnia s leaders including its public fficials and its cmmunity and business decisin makers must take effective actin nw t address the scial, ecnmic, and envirnmental impacts f climate change and strengthen ur resilience t anticipated future impacts. What is Climate Justice? Climate justice requires Califrnia leaders t ensure that the peple and cmmunities wh are least culpable in the warming f the planet, and mst vulnerable t the impacts f climate change, d nt suffer disprprtinately as a result f histrical injustice and disinvestment. Frntline cmmunities that experience cntinuing injustice including peple f clr, immigrants, peple with lwer incmes, thse in rural areas, and indigenus peple face a legacy f systemic, largely racialized, inequity that influences their living and wrking places, the quality f their air and water, and their ecnmic pprtunities. Climate justice requires Califrnia leaders t acknwledge that these frntline cmmunities are experts in creating slutins t prtect and preserve ur air, water, land, and cmmunities, despite their histrical exclusin frm decisin making and frm public resurces and services. Climate justice requires Califrnia leaders t prvide public resurces and services t frntline cmmunities t engage and assist them in develping technlgies, plicies, prfessins, services, and prjects fr addressing the causes and impacts f climate change and healing frm histrical injustices. Why Climate Justice? While all Califrnians are impacted by climate change, climate change des nt affect all peple in the same way. These frntline cmmunities are particularly vulnerable t the impact f climate and envirnmental changes because f decades-lng, pervasive sciecnmic cnditins that are perpetuated by systems f inequitable pwer and resurce distributin. Thse systems, in turn, are the result f intentinal decisins by peple in psitins f pwer and deeply institutinalized racism and class bias. These cnditins and systems have left Califrnia s frntline cmmunities with unsafe, unhealthy neighbrhds and limited access t quality educatin, public services, and ecnmic pprtunities. Frntline cmmunities have als lng been excluded frm the plicy and funding decisins and prcesses that can be used t address climate change and supprt a transitin t healthy, resilient, and sustainable cmmunities. These cmmunities are starting frm a place far wrse than that held by their mre affluent, white cunterparts, and accrdingly have fewer resurces t prepare fr, adapt t, and recver frm the effects f climate change. As a result, frntline cmmunities are ften the first and wrst impacted by climate disruptin and extreme weather events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina), which in turn increase already-present health and ecnmic disparities. 1

4 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia The systematic and structural inequities experienced by frntline cmmunities require an immediate, extrardinary, and sustained increase in public resurces t these cmmunities t build and ensure their resilience. Investments and services aimed at reducing disparities in training, emplyment, incme, wealth, husing cnditins, health, and plitical empwerment, and preventing displacement, will help t reduce frntline cmmunities vulnerability t the impacts f climate change. Mrever, such investments and services must seek t help vulnerable individuals and cmmunities d mre than bunce back frm climate change-related harms: instead, they must supprt effrts t bunce frward t achieve full participatin in an equitable, regenerative, and sustainable ecnmy marked by inclusive engagement in decisins that affect daily life, with adequate resurces t thrive befre, after, and despite climate change impacts. Climate Vulnerability and Climate Resilience Fr purpses f this dcument, climate vulnerability describes the ways in which a persn, cmmunity, r scial system (a receptr) is susceptible t sustaining harm r damage (impact) as a result f climate change. Climate vulnerability is a functin f (i) climate-related changes in cnditins that are experienced by a receptr; and (ii) the receptr s sensitivity t experiencing impacts as a result f thse changing cnditins. Climate resilience describes the receptr s ability and capacity t cpe with r adapt t impacts caused by climate change. Climate vulnerability is related t physical factrs (e.g., whether a cmmunity is likely t experience increases in the frequency f dangerusly high heat events, r t be flded during mre frequent r intense strms) as well as scial and ecnmic factrs including: Inequities in access t and benefits f educatin, ecnmic investment, scial capital, health prtectin initiatives, and/r gvernment services; Institutinalized bias r exclusin with respect t plitical and decisin-making pwer; Disparities in envirnmental and living cnditins; and Disparities in individual, family, and cmmunity health status. Urban, suburban, and rural cmmunities experience climate vulnerability, but may be vulnerable in different ways, depending n the cntext and n the relative presence r absence f the abve factrs. An individual r cmmunity may be vulnerable with respect t multiple factrs f vulnerability at nce. The cumulative effects f these factrs may cntribute t heightened vulnerability. Advancing Climate Justice Thrugh Califrnia s Climate Change Adaptatin Plicy and Funding Decisins In recent years, Califrnia has made prgress in acknwledging and addressing the need fr climate justice in its greenhuse-gas reductin plicies and investments, althugh it has far t g t achieve success in that regard. Hwever, Califrnia state and lcal leaders have dne little t acknwledge and address frntline cmmunities climate vulnerability, r t help build their resilience t the nging and anticipated impacts f climate change. Califrnia must d mre. Accrdingly, the Climate Justice Wrking Grup ffers the fllwing visin, principles, and plicy and funding recmmendatins t guide Califrnia s adaptatin effrts thrugh

5 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia Visin By 2030, we envisin a resilient Califrnia where ur mst vulnerable cmmunities are ready t respnd t the physical, envirnmental, ecnmic and health impacts brught n by climate change, and thrive after climate events. Califrnia must practively bring public and private investments int vulnerable cmmunities t fster rbust and thriving cmmunities that are engaged, healthy, just, ecnmically viable, and safe frm envirnmental threats. Guiding Principles 1. Actively engage frntline cmmunities in research, planning, implementatin, educatin, and decisin making abut ptential climate change impacts and abut the develpment, funding, implementatin, and evaluatin f adaptatin and resilience plicies. Create enabling cnditins fr frntline cmmunities early, cntinuus, and meaningful participatin in the develpment f adaptatin plicy and funding decisins. Partner with lcal leaders and cmmunity-based rganizatins t enhance the effectiveness f adaptatin research and innvatin, educatin, decisin making, and plicy implementatin. This verarching principle applies t all f the subsequent climate justice principles and recmmendatins. 2. Identify and reduce frntline cmmunities vulnerabilities t climate change, with a fcus n physical, ecnmic, and quality-f-life factrs. 3. When planning fr infrastructure investments, priritize actins that increase the resilience f essential facilities and assciated services that prvide health care, fd, drinking water, evacuatin rutes, and emergency shelter fr frntline cmmunities. Reduce cmmunity health and safety risks frm ptential damage t sensitive facilities such as water treatment plants, hazardus waste facilities, and pwer plants and transmissin lines. 4. Prmte adaptatin plicies, funding decisins, and implementatin actins that increase training, emplyment and ecnmic develpment pprtunities amng frntline cmmunities. Where applicable, priritize pprtunities that advance a just transitin frm dependence n fssil fuels and further enhance cmmunity resilience t the impacts f climate change. 5. Prmte and supprt reginal and lcal adaptatin effrts that generate multiple benefits acrss sectrs. 6. During planning and implementatin f land use and cmmunity develpment decisins, cnsider and avid negative cnsequences f actins, including displacement, that culd inadvertently increase frntline cmmunities and individuals climate vulnerability. 7. Prmte adaptatin c-benefits f txic chemical and greenhuse gas reductin plicies by supprting thse that als reduce frntline cmmunities climate vulnerability and enhance their resilience. 8. Ensure that adaptatin plicies, funding decisins, and implementatin actins cmply with relevant laws and plicies that are designed t prtect and advance civil rights and envirnmental justice. 3

6 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia 9. Prmte lcal, reginal, and state agency transparency, accuntability, and adaptive management by develping and applying easy-t-understand climate justice metrics, data and infrmatin resurces, and annual reprting prtcls. 10. Identify needed funding, establish needed funding mechanisms, and allcate adequate funding t supprt adaptatin plicy develpment, implementatin, and evaluatin in frntline cmmunities. Plicy and Funding Recmmendatins By 2020, Califrnia state agencies shuld cmplete reginal crss-sectr vulnerability assessments that: Prvide fr frntline cmmunity members t participate meaningfully in prcesses f infrmatin-gathering, research, analysis, and review. Identify and priritize climate change-related threats t the regin s frntline cmmunities. Assess hw existing critical infrastructure and public services will handle changing cnditins, and hw the state can strengthen existing infrastructure and services, and develp new infrastructure and services, t enhance climate resilience and prevent displacement. Determine hw state agencies will integrate their climate justice plicy develpment, planning, and implementatin activities. Prvide directin and resurces, such as funding and capacity building, t lcal and reginal agencies n integrating climate justice in planning effrts, plicy develpment and implementatin, and distributin f resurces. Ensure these lcal and reginal agencies are als engaging frntline cmmunities in their research, planning, implementatin, and decisin-making. By 2020, Califrnia state agencies shuld establish reginal gals, targets, and implementatin strategies fr building climate resilience in frntline cmmunities. These elements shuld be integrated int the state s 2020 climate change adaptatin strategy. Areas f fcus shuld include, but nt be limited t: Access t ecnmic pprtunities. Access t public health facilities and services. Access t safe and affrdable drinking water and healthy fd. Access t affrdable husing. Access t natural resurces, parks, and recreatinal pprtunities. Access t transprtatin. Access t public funds and technical assistance. Reginal equity metrics that enable annual evaluatin f prgress tward resilience fr frntline cmmunities. Estimates f funding needed t achieve climate justice fr frntline cmmunities in each regin. 4

7 Advancing Climate Justice in Califrnia By 2020, based n the reginal assessments, updated adaptatin strategy, and funding estimates Califrnia shuld immediately identify additinal funding and funding mechanisms needed t achieve climate justice and equity fr frntline cmmunities. By 2020, Califrnia shuld identify, raise, and invest at least $1 billin, and by 2025, at least $10 billin thrugh apprpriate funding surces t: Ensure frntline cmmunity members are invlved in all aspects f climate adaptatin and resilience plicy research, develpment, planning, decisin making, implementatin, and evaluatin. Cmplete, fr each regin, cmmunity emergency preparedness plans, including maps and strategies fr prviding relcatin and cmmunity services t frntline cmmunities in case f disasters. Make critical infrastructure and public service imprvements in frntline cmmunities cnsistent with reginal assessments, gals, targets, and implementatin strategies. Develp an adequate supply f affrdable, energy efficient husing in lw-incme and frntline cmmunities. Supprt a just transitin t a nn-extractive, clean energy ecnmy in ways that prvide multiple benefits t frntline cmmunities, including jb training, targeted emplyment, and generatin f wealth and health. An electrnic versin f this reprt can be fund at the Healthy Wrld fr All website, 5