Environmental Justice Solidarity Statement

Change the Chamber (CTC), in its work to champion  environmental justice, stands in solidarity with marginalized communities including, but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), low-income individuals, people with disabilities, women,  LGBTQIA+ individuals, and immigrants.. 

CTC acknowledges the undeniable links between environmental and social justice issues. Timely environmental action is just the first step needed to ensure a better tomorrow for marginalized communities. Climate action alone is not enough to abate environmental injustices-racial, social, and economic equity must be placed front and center to make the climate movement effective, intersectional and inclusive. A lack of inclusivity leaves marginalized communities all the more vulnerable to the current and future challenges of climate change. Therefore, we support and empower the voices so often left out of climate action and decision-making processes, the voices so crucial to an intersectional approach that centers the communities most at risk.

Actions of corporations neglecting the communities and environment they inhabit disproportionately affect marginalized communities, exposing them to environmental hazards (e.g. pollution, worsening air and water quality, hazardous chemicals, natural disasters, climate change). As a coalition, we push for climate policies that prioritize justice and equity for communities around the world.

The broader environmental movement has been historically complicit in perpetuating systems of racism. Combating these historic trends  means placing communities of color at the center of our approach and amplifying their voices through all available platforms. Communities of color have played a prominent role  in addressing the deep racial disparities and structural inequities that have placed them in the pathways of environmental harm. Environmental justice has been championed time and time again by BIPOC individuals, such as Latine activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in the San Joaquin Valley throughout the 1960s and in the 1980s through protests led by Black activists like Joseph Lowery in Warren County.

Indigenous people have long been at the forefront of environmental justice efforts. Attempts to violate Tribal Sovereignty and Indigenous Sovereignty, are environmental justice concerns. Extractive businesses and pipeline construction undermine traditional ecological knowledge held by Indigenous communities, and new laws are implemented to dilute tribal sovereignty. These situations have spurred Indigenous communities and individuals alike to lead the way in environmental activism.

The current administration’s decision to revoke and repeal numerous landmark environmental legislations, including withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, demonstrates hostility towards climate action that has brought further harm not only to the American population, but particularly to marginalized and underserved communities across all nations.

Regardless of political affiliation, as a society, we must come together to  uphold environmental rights and take strategic action to mitigate and adapt to climate change and the damage it causes.  We applaud and encourage bipartisan efforts to promote racial, social, and economic equity in climate policy. The mounting ramifications of climate change are not far-off predictions but an immediate, reality severely impacting ecosystems and communities worldwide. This reality demands urgent, inclusive action.

CTC believes that community inclusion begins with diversifying our team — with students hailing from various communities across the United States and overseas. We also believe in the importance of amplifying marginalized voices through outreach and activism, and curating resources with timely and  vital information that centers local knowledge. We understand that to be a good ally, we must listen to, learn from, respect, and show up for communities that are not our own. CTC strives to make climate information more accessible while maintaining reciprocal relationships with the organizations and communities with which we exchange knowledge  and share land.

In solidarity and compassion, The Change the Chamber Team