‘We Need Communities of Color’: How Coalitions Can Move from Climate Action to Climate Justice

• Published in: Social justice research 2023-03, Vol.36 (1), p.103-131
• Main Authors: Lorenzen, Janet A., Drew, Emily
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropology; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Climate action; Climate justice; Coalitions; Criminal justice policy; Diversification; Environmental justice; Environmental movements; Environmentalism; Leadership; Liquefied natural gas; Lobbying; Natural gas; Participant observation; Personality and Social Psychology; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Recruitment; Social groups; Social justice; Social networks; Social Policy; Sociology
• ISSN: 0885-7466; 1573-6725
• DOI: 10.1007/s11211-023-00406-w

This article asks: How can climate coalitions challenge the predominantly white, political arena of the US environmental movement and become racially inclusive coalitions that advance climate justice?  Methodologically, we draw on participant observation with an Oregon coalition from 2016 to 2020 and 80 interviews with: social justice, environmental justice (EJ), environmental and climate advocates; professional lobbyists (unions); state legislators and staff members. We find that racial inclusion is initially attempted through altering coalition culture and access, by (1) establishing explicitly shared values and goals in a principles document and (2) improving the racial diversification of the coalition by recruiting social and environmental justice groups and sharing resources to enable their participation. These initial steps to diversify the coalition, while insufficient, serve as a prerequisite for developing an effective and durable coalition that is racially inclusive. The cultural shifts mentioned above are a foundation, making possible structural changes in the coalition that include: (3) expanding the steering committee to add racially diverse social justice and EJ groups to leadership positions, (4) institutionalizing more robust platforms of communication that establish working networks and build trust, and (5) altering the coalition agenda to support both rural climate groups and their fight to block the Jordan Cove Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Project and social justice groups in lobbying for climate equity in bill design. In the discussion, we argue that climate justice as an external policy goal is supported by internal structural changes for racial inclusion in the coalition.