Initiative for Energy Justice’s Post

🏢 Commercial Real Estate Leaders: Is Your Portfolio Ready for Virginia's Clean Energy Future? Attention CRE owners, developers, and managers! The 2024 Virginia Clean Energy Summit (October 16-17, Richmond) is your gateway to unlocking significant value in your real estate portfolio. Did you know? ✅ Properties with green certifications command 6-10% higher rents[4]. ✅ Energy-efficient buildings have 9.5% higher occupancy rates[4]. ✅ Decarbonized buildings can reduce operational costs by up to 30%[4]. At the summit, discover: 1. How upcoming Virginia energy policies will impact your bottom line. 2. Innovative financing models for clean energy retrofits. 3. Strategies to increase property values through decarbonization. 4. Tech solutions that tenants are demanding in 2024 and beyond. Don't risk being left behind: Learn how leading CRE firms are leveraging clean energy to boost NOI and asset value. Register now for the Virginia Clean Cities' Virginia Clean Energy Summit: https://lnkd.in/eesUJaPg Join forward-thinking peers who are turning energy challenges into competitive advantages. Your future tenants (and investors) will thank you. #SustainableBuildings #Decarbonization #CRE #VirginiaRealEstate #CleanEnergyROI

Helpful summary of the main parties' manifesto commitments on democratic ownership and co-operatives 👇 Big emphasis on community energy across the board ⚡ Very welcome to see Labour promising that GB Energy will invite communities to come forward and propose their own clean energy projects. With more participatory decision-making tools and frameworks out there than ever (including New Citizen Project's own RAPID Democracy framework), there's a real chance there to engage lots more citizens to participate in the shared ownership of vital clean energy assets. If it works, it could stimulate even more community ownership across the board. Also, I'm biased because I'm a Green Party member and was invited to pitch some ideas for the manifesto, but I particularly like the Greens' commitments for: 💰 a Co-operative Development Fund 🌞 A minimum threshold of community ownership in all sustainable energy infrastructure, so green energy doesn't end up entirely in private hands ➡ Making it easier for companies to become mutuals at moments of succession As always, making democratic ownership work means investing properly in building participatory skills and cultures, rather than just providing funds or generic "business support". I suggested only half-jokingly to a Green Party policy advisor that we should bring back National Service, but this time with young people forced to serve as society secretaries and membership engagement officers at their local community-owned pub 😅 (The *really* big idea is to link community-owned energy infrastructure with community-owned social infrastructure, so that the solar panels in the village fields also help sustain the village pub...) https://lnkd.in/e_d7dzTF

🌟 Big news in environmental and energy justice this week!👇 1️⃣ DOE's Justice Week kicks off 2️⃣ Dr. Robert Bullard, the father of environmental justice, elected to the National Academy of Medicine The old approach of "greatest good for most people" is OUT. The new focus? Helping those who need it most, FIRST. ✨ Community Benefits Must Be Direct and Measurable IRA and BIL require Community Benefit Plans. But here's the reality: communities want direct funding, not just programs. Currently, privileged communities have better access to these benefits. 💰 Federal Grant-Making Needs to Get Simpler EPA's "Thriving Communities" program cuts red tape, with regional centers helping communities navigate applications. Instead of prescribing solutions, agencies must first learn what communities actually need. 🤝 Federal Outreach Needs to be Topic-Based Communities are tired of multiple federal offices reaching out at the same time. Offer topic-based engagement with evening meetings in accessible locations, plus food and childcare. ⚡ Access Disparities Matter One-third of Navajo Nation lacks electricity, while EV incentives favor wealthy early adopters. As we shift from tailpipe to power plant emissions, we risk just moving environmental burdens to low-income communities. 🏗️ Supportive Infrastructure Is Key The pandemic showed how poor communities couldn't just "go virtual" without broadband. As climate changes, air conditioning becomes survival equipment, and public EV charging in low-income communities is an issue. 🔬 Community Science Leads From cultural monitors to citizen scientists, local expertise drives better outcomes. The key is prioritizing local needs and building long-term trust. Remember: Just treatment ≠ Equal treatment. Different communities need different solutions. Time to turn these insights into action. More in my Forbes post:

Like many successful organizations, the Clean River Advisory Council utilizes S.M.A.R.T. goals to push ourselves forward in our advocacy. These precise, actionable goals work on an individual level, and scale up to be used by even the largest Fortune 500 companies. Namely, these goals are specifically, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-constrained. See the worksheet linked below/in our bio by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for some guidance on how to engage your community with these SMART goals! https://lnkd.in/ggSWpXsP

In 2016, Detroit was the first major U.S. city to adopt a community benefits ordinance (CBO) to secure benefits for local communities from high-impact development projects. Now, nearly a decade later, Detroit’s experience can provide valuable insights for communities and policymakers searching for effective strategies to conduct meaningful community engagement and share benefits with local communities to advance an equitable energy transition. A new World Resources Institute and Data for Progress paper examines the successes, shortcomings and lessons learned from Detroit’s CBO: https://bit.ly/4iwOLvA #CleanEnergy #CommunityBenefits #LocalCommunities #Detroit #UnitedStates

What is Participatory Action Research (PAR)? A framework for involving communities in research that directly influences their lives. The City of Memphis and surrounding Shelby County experienced a high rate of young adults who were not working or in school. Learn how we used PAR to help these governments develop solutions to engage these young people. https://lnkd.in/gJ9CyY6k

More and more we see how equitable community enegagment can 1. Increase the success of water infrastructure projects 2. Deepen trust with community and customers 3. Show that democracy WORKS - and impact how people’s voices can influence change well beyond the ballot box Here’s some best practices from transportation planners that relate to water infrastructure as well: https://lnkd.in/eUNxm59a

At Lowcountry Local First, we believe in the strength of our community and the power of choosing to invest in local solutions. When we focus on what’s happening at our doorstep — supporting local businesses, advocating for equitable economic policies, nurturing local food systems, and addressing environmental resilience — we remind ourselves that real, impactful change often begins right here at home. As election day comes and goes and the sun continues to rise and fall, let’s remember that our strength lies in the choices we make right here at home. Your vote — up and down the ballot — certainly matters a great deal. And each decision to support a local business, each conversation with a neighbor on either side of the political aisle, each moment we spend advocating for the Lowcountry’s future — these are acts of unity and resilience. Read more: The Power of Local Connections in a Polarized World https://lnkd.in/eQEJJ3mt

Community acceptance of major transportation projects begins with better, more equitable engagement. Cathy LaFata and John Mitchell wrote about current trends in community outreach for the latest issue of ITE Journal, a publication of ITE—A Community of Transportation Professionals. Read their insights, illustrated by project examples and supplemented with actionable takeaways: https://lnkd.in/gJ-3rv5N

An important document for anyone living in Mayo to #haveyoursay!