Engaging with Congress on Climate Change Solutions

The last few months have been pretty unsettling.

How are you holding up? Drop me a line if you’d like (hello@eesi.org). I’m always eager to hear from you and learn about your ideas and priorities.

This is arriving in your inbox just after Earth Day. Last year, thinking about climate action, I posed the question, “Are we on the right track?” And my answer was, “Well, yes and no.” Emissions were decreasing, but we were not where we needed to be to meet our end-of-decade goals.

That feels like 1,000 years ago.

Things have changed. There is major uncertainty about everything in climate policy. But, thanks to your continued partnership, EESI is finding ways to make a positive impact.

Let me point to one especially impressive—maybe even surprising?—stat line: EESI has had nearly 100 meetings with Congressional offices, including seven newly-elected representatives, since mid-January.

These meetings are chances to build and strengthen relationships on Capitol Hill on both sides of the aisle. This engagement helps ensure that representatives and senators have access to timely, relevant information about clean energy jobs, public health, community resilience, and other topics they need to know about. And it is the best way to get feedback about information gaps that we can help address with our nonpartisan, science-based resources.

There is still good stuff happening (you can find out much more in the April edition of EESI Impact, our newsletter, which you can receive in the future if you sign up here). I hope you take away how much impact you are making possible even now.

Optimism seems harder to muster lately. But your commitment to advancing climate solutions is a big part of driving this positive impact.

Thanks.

Links:

• Read the entire April edition of EESI Impact!
• Subscribe to newsletters, fact sheets, briefing notices, & more!
• Check out climate solutions in YOUR state!

Last year was a great opportunity to reflect on EESI’s 40 years of history, accomplishments, and cast of characters. But here we are: 40 years old and staring down 41. 

Thanks for being great partners all along the way. 

Now is the time to regroup and forge ahead. Climate change is intensifying. The challenges facing us are steep. And the path forward is uncertain. 

So now what? In our 60-plus meetings with Democratic and Republican Congressional offices so far this year, we are already hearing about a lot of interest in finding bipartisan common ground. Why do they meet with us? Because EESI continues to meet policymakers where they are.

We will improve how we communicate the urgency of the climate crisis and the benefits of win-win-win solutions. This will involve developing new briefing formats, new ways to engage, new initiatives, and new things we have not even thought of yet—all in pursuit of finding better ways to reach policymakers, the media, and the general public.  

And we will stay true to who we are, including by living up to our core values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. While we have a lot more to do, this makes us more creative, more capable, more welcoming, and better able to accomplish our mission and achieve our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. 

Your commitment to advancing climate solutions keeps us going in good times and… less good times. We have a long way to go, and Team EESI is eager to work with you this year and for many more to come.

Links:

• RSVP for a donor-exclusive Zoom call on April 4
• Get EESI's newsletters, fact sheets, briefing notices, & more!
• Stay informed on Congressional actions with our resource roundup