People for Climate Action
News and updates: Recordings and slides from our webinars are posted on our Webinars page.
Also, People for Climate Action has created a comprehensive workbook that lists and prioritizes climate actions designed to help cities develop or strengthen their climate action plans. Take a look at: Climate Action Priorities for Cities Workbook
To request a user friendly copy of the Excel workbook, please email workbook@peopleforclimateaction.org.
Mission
PCA’s mission is to help local governments develop and implement comprehensive climate action plans to reach the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration, which include a 50% reduction by 2030.
We are committed to moving forward in solidarity with anti-racist and environmental justice organizations. Climate change and its related health impacts are deeply interwoven with social injustice, and the impacts of climate change are experienced first and most significantly by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Therefore, we believe equity must be a fundamental consideration in all Climate Action Plans within King County and its cities.
How We Measure Success
Our mission will be fulfilled when the three conditions below are met. Success must be consistent with Principle #8 from the K4C Commitment Letter (2019), which includes the following excerpt:
We are committed to work in ways that are fair, equitable, empowering, and inclusive, and will seek solutions in concert with highly impacted communities. Solutions should prioritize low- and no-income people, people of color and indigenous people, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and limited-English speaking communities. Solutions should include provisions for a just transition for workers.
- K4C commitment: King County and all its cities join, participate in, and fully prioritize the commitments under the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) and arrange for sufficient resources to meet K4C targets.
- Plan and implement: County and cities create, adopt, and implement comprehensive and measurable Climate Action Plans to achieve K4C targets.
- Monitor: County and cities publish regular progress reports and adjust plans to meet K4C targets.
Videos and event recordings
For videos and slide decks from past events, check out our Resources page.
Background
The impact of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on climate change is increasingly well known. Cities across the globe are responsible for over 70% of these GHGs. Since 2014, King County and sixteen cities, plus the Port of Seattle, have signed a Letter of Commitment for the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C). The letter was updated in 2019 to reflect changing circumstances, and as of mid-2020, more than half of the sixteen cities have also signed the updated letter. The letters include goals for reducing GHGs relative to 2007 levels by 25% by 2020, then 50% by 2030, and finally 80% by 2050.
King County and members of the K4C should be applauded for recognizing their role in saving our planet and their ambitious goals. We also need to acknowledge Dow Constantine for leading the fight against coal exports, coal plants, oil trains and infrastructure, the John Henry mine, new gas plants, and initiating a lawsuit against the largest oil companies in Washington over climate change impacts. However great these efforts and successes have been… there is still much work to be done!
No K4C city is meeting its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction target. It’s time for cities to refocus their efforts and create Climate Action Plans for the 2030 and 2050 targets.
Some cities in King County have achieved small reductions since 2007, but overall, emissions across the County have basically remained flat.
Although the K4C 2020 goal will not be met, the good news is that it’s not too late to help our local governments achieve the K4C 2030 and 2050 goals! King County residents are ready to work with our governments to develop meaningful and comprehensive climate action plans in which goals are operationalized and processes for measuring progress are put into place. Progress can then be regularly evaluated and plans updated to assure hitting the K4C’s ultimate goals.
People for Climate Action is an organization through which local groups across many cities are working together to influence and work with our governments toward effective climate action. Our collaboration aims to share best practices and ideas among city groups, study current and possible climate action planning efforts being taken in cities, expand the number of K4C signatory cities, and bring informed voices to key council meetings. Through our efforts, we aim to inform and actively enable our governments to be climate leaders.
Our Methods
- Advocate for and advise on the development and implementation of robust, comprehensive Climate Action Plans for the county and cities.
- Meet with local officials to ensure their continued awareness of the most current information on climate and climate action planning.
- Organize and educate constituents to effectively communicate to their communities, and to respective government representatives, the urgent need to focus on meeting the K4C goals.
How You Can Help
- Sign up as a PCA member (on the right) so you can receive our newsletters and invitations to our events.
- Join a local PCA group in your city and become an active participant.
- Review our Resources page to gain background on how cities can make a difference for the climate.
Got a specific question? Contact us.
Not in King County, WA?
PCA is very interested in helping those outside of King County work with their local governments to enhance their response to climate change and, in particular, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, please contact us.