Transitioning From Urban Climate Action to Climate Equity

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Historically, urban climate action plans have not focused on residents who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: neighborhoods of people of color and low-income communities, also known as frontline communities. I examined the climate action planning process for five U.S. cities that have recently updated their climate action plans to focus on equity: Austin (TX), Baltimore (MD), Cleveland (OH), Portland (OR), and Providence (RI). The goal of the analysis was to identify how planners and policymakers are making the climate action planning process more inclusive of marginalized groups and incorporating equity into the plan’s goals. I examined three aspects of climate equity: procedural, distributional, and recognition. Using content analysis of the plans and interviews with past and current sustainability directors in each of the cities and a small number of participants, I provide context for how the updated plans addressed the three aspects of equity. Further, I call into question how academics have defined procedural equity. The experiences of these five cities revealed that three actions essential to achieving authentic participation are antiracism training, comprehensive efforts to bring underrepresented groups to the table, and creating a planning process in which participants are valued. The bottom line in all three is that procedural equity is a trust-building process. Participants in these planning processes viewed acknowledging previous rounds of harm committed in frontline communities as a first step in prioritizing equity. Although distributional equity is defined through implementation, the plans of these five cities, to varying degrees, attempted to stipulate how equitable implementation of goals will be measured. Takeaway for practice: Developing climate plans that emphasize equity requires a considerable upfront commitment to building authentic participation from frontline communities and ensuring that it is measured in implementation.