The Greenlining Institute

The first Earth Day was in 1970, and since then we’ve seen so much change when it comes to the climate and our fight for environmental justice. While many formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to bear the burdens of transportation pollution due to decades of racist policies, more and more community-based organizations are stepping forward to build climate-resilient infrastructure to reduce pollution and connect local residents to economic opportunities. Since launching Greenlining the Block in 2023, we’ve had the privilege of working with 24 groups across the country and a very interesting trend emerged – many of these frontline organizations started focusing their efforts on transportation and cleaner mobility options for their communities. They’re making incredible progress and collectively have secured more than $77M in future investments. But who better to explain the importance of community-led mobility equity programs than our community partners themselves? So, we put together this short video to share why Greenlining the Block cohort members are making clean mobility solutions a priority in their communities. Learn more about #GreenliningTheBlock by visiting https://lnkd.in/gnNwgAYb Special thank you to our Greenlining the Block partners over at Little Manila Rising, CASA FAMILIAR INC, and Equiticity.

Check out the amazing work of Greenlining the Block community partner Equiticity, who are local leaders improving the futures of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in Chicago. Equiticity is focused on establishing an equitable flow of resources to communities that will help reduce violence, improve health, create jobs, and ultimately create more liveable neighborhoods and thriving cities for everyone. By partnering with organizations like Equiticity to build lasting #climateresilience in our communities, we are building a future where race is never a barrier to opportunity. Learn more about Equiticity and the Greenlining the Block initiative at greenliningtheblock.org.

Bluelining is the practice of denying financial and insurance services to areas that may be at higher risk for environmental or climate disasters Formerly #redlined communities–often low-income communities and communities of color– are at high risk of #bluelining due to historic disinvestment, leaving them with less resources to build resilience and bounce back after a climate disaster strikes. Low-income communities and communities of color face climate disasters at continuously high rates while financial institutions increase prices or withdraw services altogether, deepening the harmful and lasting legacy of redlining. Read more on this phenomenon in our 2023 report, Bluelining: Climate Financial Discrimination on the Horizon by Monica Palmeira and Brooklyn M. https://bit.ly/3QYrQhn Rayner Emmanuelle Uy

Investing in the next generation is a pillar of Greenlining's work to build a just future for all. For decades, our Leadership Academy has offered early career professionals hands-on experience in policy and equity. Join us in welcoming our 2024 Fellows and Summer Associates! Read more here: https://bit.ly/4f6vxLp

#BIPOC communities in #CA who are Black, Latino, and low-income disproportionately endure the worst rates of pollution. At the same time, these communities are often more reliant on older, gas-powered vehicles due to systemic inequities including the high costs of switching to newer, cleaner forms of transportation. #CA wants to change this with ambitious goals for phasing out the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and incentive programs to help people make the switch to EVs. But right now, CA's #EV tax credits mostly benefit high-income, low-mileage folks. Assemblymember Phil Ting's #AB2401 would target #EV rebates to low-income, high-mileage drivers—saving them hundreds on fuel costs and cutting emissions faster & more equitably. Read more about ensuring that #CA prioritizes an equitable #cleantransition in our latest op-ed by Roman Partida-Lopez, our Senior Transportation Equity Legal Counsel, and our partners at Coltura: https://lnkd.in/gFpu6NAb

Join us for a webinar tomorrow, Thursday 7/11 from 10:00 - 11:30am with Greenlining's Senior Program Manager for a Clean Energy Initiative, Sneha Ayyagari. Sneha will be speaking at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s event titled "DOE’s new National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector—What it means for the Residential Sector, a Nonprofit Panel." The webinar will discuss the plan to accelerate decarbonization of the U.S. residential building stock in line with achieving economy-wide net-zero emissions and centering equity and benefits to communities by 2050 and non-profit organization's perspectives. Get more info and register via Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gUhfCMuv

Deadly heat waves worsen existing inequities, hitting #BIPOC and low-income communities hardest with higher electric bills and increased health risks. This is the result of decades of disinvestment, neglect, and economic barriers that have prevented these communities from building resilience to the worsening impacts of climate change. We cannot accept this as the new normal. #CA has a responsibility to proactively invest in the communities at greatest risk to ensure they can withstand the increasingly devastating consequences of climate change. https://lnkd.in/gKUQ-zQk

Imagine a world in which extreme heat days are no longer life threatening events that happen with increased frequency. We may not be able to turn back the climate clock but we can certainly support #CA’s communities of color to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This is why we support Senate Bill 867, a state bond measure, which includes specific allocations to maintain essential climate equity programs, including #TCC, to help our communities weather the most devastating impacts of climate change. Climate change does not slow down in budget deficit years. Neither should our response to this problem. Read our full statement with TreePeople here: https://t.co/mM6EkpSRQX

Founded in 2017 in North Lawndale, a vibrant neighborhood located on Chicago’s West Side, Equiticity is a Black-led organization operationalizing racial equity by harnessing the community’s collective power through research, advocacy, and local programs. This year, they’re celebrating seven years of building power with their local community. Part of Equiticity’s regular programming includes their Community Mobility Rituals, in which they offer community bike rides, neighborhood walking tours, and public transit excursions for their neighborhoods. As Equiticity moves people to walk, bike, shop, and explore their communities, they are actively shaping more vibrant neighborhoods. Learn more about #GreenliningTheBlock partner organizations like Equiticity at greenliningtheblock.org.

Today's Supreme Court decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine threatens our nation’s progress towards equity, putting communities of color and low-income communities at risk. The Chevron doctrine allowed agencies to use their expertise to interpret ambiguous laws, which helped enforce critical regulations in areas like minimum wage, workplace safety, anti-discrimination, environmental protection, AI regulations and protections, and access to benefits like Medicaid and housing subsidies. Without this deference, these vital protections and programs may face greater scrutiny and potential rollback, exacerbating economic inequalities and reducing protections for communities that face the legacies of redlining, discriminatory policies, and deeply embedded inequities. This change could also weaken civil rights enforcement and delay the implementation of important regulations, increasing legal uncertainty. At The Greenlining Institute, we are fighting for a future where communities of color can thrive—and this ruling is an undeniable attempt to move backwards by creating higher barriers to equity for marginalized communities. This ruling is a stark reminder of the conservative forces working hard to erode progress towards a more just future. While we are disappointed, we remain committed and steadfast in our fight for justice and equity, ensuring that our hard-won gains are not undone. Read more about the ruling and its implications here: https://lnkd.in/gcTKTjYy