Maryland Sierra Club is a proud member of Climate Partners, a coalition of over one hundred environmental, faith, consumer advocacy, and social justice organizations focused on ensuring equitable implementation of the Climate Solutions Now Act (CSNA). It is governed by a Steering Committee of roughly 15 environmental, faith, and justice focused organizations. The coalition formed in 2021 to support the passage of bold climate legislation, engaging thousands of Marylanders to contribute their voice to this critical conversation. One of its core organizing principles is that robust public participation is essential for the development and implementation of equitable climate policy.
Last Monday, Climate Partners reached a major milestone and submitted its Preliminary Priorities letter (https://bit.ly/climatepartnersrecs) to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). The 15-page letter outlined sector specific recommendations for transportation, electricity generation, and buildings, as well as overarching equity recommendations. These priorities were developed in strong collaboration with Climate Partners’ organizations and networks, including hundreds of community members and advocates, and were ultimately endorsed by 34 organizational members.
The preliminary policy recommendations are intended to inform the development of Maryland’s climate plan for meeting the goals set out in the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. Climate Partners plans to stay involved and engage in exchanges with MDE and participating agencies this summer and fall, increasing the specificity of its input once the draft plan has been released and commissioned modeling has been completed.
Check out the Climate Partners’ blog post for more details about the process and the recommendations.