Rural Climate Network
The Rural Climate Network is focused on resolving the social and ecological inequities of rural communities, while also empowering these communities to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Members of this network collaborate and share best practices for managing climate change impacts - between agriculture, forestry, and other natural resource dependent communities. This work then connects rural leaders in order to build local climate policy, and work with state and national policy development in order to create ecological and economic resilience. Approximately 50 rural focused organizations from across the country are member of the Network.
The Network explains that rural, natural resource-dependent communities are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as they are often those most closely linked to natural ecosystems for their economic, social and environmental well-being.
Building upon grassroots networks from different regions of the country, the organization intends to gain political influence through development of coordinated rural messages on climate change. Within the network, members share real-time examples of climate impacts, and the solutions that exist across rural landscapes, in order to educate impacted communities, and inform actionable climate policy. The network generates best practices in forestry, farming, and ranching as they relate to climate change - and supports rural communities in preparing for climate impacts such as wildfire, drought, and flooding.
Here are the Rural Climate Network’s goals as stated on their website:
1. To provide a venue for a broad, cross-sector collection of rural voices and organizations to work together to define and respond to climate change policies at the state and national levels.
2. To ensure that rural voices become a leading force in development of climate change policy and solutions in their communities.
3. To ensure that any market-based policies developed actually contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reductions and provide real benefits to rural residents and their communities.
4. To promote changes in legislation that will assist rural communities in developing adequate responses to the current and anticipated effects of climate change on their communities, surrounding landscapes, and natural resources.
5. To engage the next generation of rural leaders in a dialogue about climate change and ensure their perspectives are informing and included in state and national policy recommendations.
Phone: (612) 870-0453
Sectors:
