For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Contacts: Raviya Ismail, rismail@diversegreen.org
U.S. Conference of Mayors Adopts Resolution that Pushes for Diversity in Green Organizations
Washington, D.C. — Green 2.0 partnered with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to bolster his effort to successfully adopt a U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) resolution that includes pushing for more diversity in environmental NGOs and foundations.
“Every decision we make about sustainability must be through the lens of environmental justice — and that means making sure our movement reflects the needs of all of the people we represent,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “There’s no question that climate change places a disproportionate burden on our communities of color, so it’s our responsibility to ensure that those most impacted by this crisis are also the ones shaping the solutions.”
“The climate crisis is impacting people of color disproportionately nationwide,” said Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, and a board member of Green 2.0. “As a native Louisianian, I’ve seen my fair share of hurricanes and too often they impact Black, Brown and Indigenous communities severely. Now more than ever, we need to have diverse voices at the table in our fight to combat climate change and protect our communities. I’m proud of Green 2.0 for making this resolution happen and for pushing to make these ideas a reality in the green movement.”
Read the resolution here.
Mayors Bill de Blasio (New York, NY), Ted Wheeler (Portland, OR), Todd Gloria (San Diego, CA), Tishaura O. Jones (St. Louis, MO), and Victoria Woodards (Tacoma, WA) also sponsored the resolution.
USCM is a non-partisan organization comprised of mayors of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Last week USCM convened virtually for its annual meeting.
Green 2.0 is a 501(c)3 independent campaign working to increase racial diversity among environmental organizations. Green 2.0 believes in a powerful, winning environmental movement grounded in equity and inclusion. Follow Green 2.0. on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.