NAACP Climate Justice Initiative Toolkit

From the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Climate Justice Initiative (CJI) is an element of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program - designed to provide tools and resources for social equity in climate mitigation and adaptation planning. 

This report, or toolkit, first explains why climate change is an issue of justice, civil and human rights, and that climate change disproportionately negatively impacts those who are least responsible for its advancement, namely persons of color. Human rights violations are cited such as the Right to Self Determination, Right to Highest Standard of Physical and Mental Health, and Right to Food, for example.

Ten Things NAACP Members and Units Can Do to Address Climate Change and Advance Justice are described including:

    • Set an example - Such as, engage in and promote energy conserving habits such as recycling, walking/cycling/public transportation/carpooling, home/office retrofitting
    • Host a brownbag or a special talk
    • Write - Article/op-ed for local newspaper, for national publication, or blog)
    • Do a Local Initiative - Examples are: Urban garden, produce share, and river clean-up
    • Start (or participate in) an Advocacy Campaign
    • Integrate Climate Justice into Work/Career
    • Join the CJI Speaker’s Bureau
    • Join the CJI Circle of Trainers (Participate in a Training of Trainers first)
    • Implement a Climate Action Plan

10 Things Youth and Colleges Can Do to Advance Climate Justice are offered at the end of the report also. 

The section “Green Economy For Beginners” provides fact sheets on the:

i. Principles of Equity

ii. Sector and Industry Trends

iii. Overview of Green Jobs

iv. Finding a Green Job

 

The toolkit also contains organizing tools, with sample letters, public service announcements, and meeting agendas.   

A review of NAACP programmatic intersections with social vulnerabilities and climate impacts describes some opportunities for climate justice integration in the NAACP agenda. Cross-cutting action areas considered here include Health (such as Nutrition/Childhood Obesity/Food Deserts, Cancer Clusters & Asthma and Respiratory Illnesse); Environmental Education; Eonomic and Criminal Justice; and Civic Engagement.

 

 

 

Publication Date: 2010

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