Divest Whitman is proud to support the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy as the alternate recipient for donations to the Responsible Endowment Fund. Our call for divestment of fossil fuels must be accompanied by cutting pollution, providing a just transition into the clean energy economy, and investing in our communities. The Alliance describes itself as such:
In Washington, polluters are not paying the costs of their pollution which disproportionately impact communities of color and low income communities. We believe a smart, equitable carbon pricing plan is necessary and approve of the Alliance’s method of coalition building and policy development.
About the Alliance
The Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy is Washington state’s coalition individuals, organizations, and businesses dedicated to reducing global warming pollution and strengthening our economy. The Alliance believes Washington can invest in our shared prosperity by accounting for the cost of carbon emissions to our economy and communities – particularly communities of color and communities with low incomes disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel pollution.
The Alliance represents more than 150 organizations and business supporters, thousands of members, and leaders from a broad diversity of constituencies including our state’s environmental, faith, health, labor, and business communities, and communities of color, who have come together to grow an inclusive climate movement that is built to last.
Shared goals
The Alliance is calling for immediate action to reduce global warming pollution, strengthen our economy and make sure all Washington families have a better future. By cutting global warming pollution we can create more local jobs, clean up air pollution, and build a healthy economy.
The Alliance believes Washington:
- WILL respond to global warming by adopting standards and policies that reduce carbon emissions and hold big emitters accountable.
- CAN grow our economy, business sector and labor movement by incentivizing homegrown clean energy and technology, which creates good jobs and better choices for consumers, and improves health.
- MUST invest in communities of color and communities with low incomes disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel pollution.
Commitment to equity
Those who contribute the least to the climate crisis bear the brunt of its impacts. Communities of color, indigenous people and people with low incomes are hit first and worst by climate change. We already see increasingly polluted neighborhoods, higher rates of asthma, and loss of income for workers in frontline industries and farmlands.
That’s why social, economic, and racial equity must be at the center of addressing global warming and why groups like OneAmerica, Washington CAN, Latino Community Fund, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, Community to Community, Got Green, Puget Sound Sage and many more bring their voices the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy.
Read more from communities of color leadership on carbon pricing policy…
Washington needs a more equitable climate policy than I-732 | The Olympian | July 21, 2015
Communities of color say Carbon Washington’s Initiative 732 confuses equity with treating everyone the same | Real Change | July 8, 2015