What we do.
WE'RE ON A MISSION WITH URGENCY
Our Initiatives
Many factors contribute to the emissions that cause climate change, and the negative effects are equally numerous. Fighting climate change requires multiple solutions in different areas that move forward simultaneously and incoordination. It is inherently a team effort, and no one entity has all the answers. With a focus on collaboration, San Leandro 2050 works to prioritize the area of greatest need—reducing climate risks and improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods that already suffer most from environmental inequities. We want to identify local solutions that have immediate and tangible local benefits. Here are our principles and what we want to bring to the table in this community effort.
We actively listen.
We are committed to learning what quality of life means to the diverse community that makes up our city and what climate change effects residents are most impacted by or worry about. We also listen for solutions people most want to see, new ideas and opportunities for hands-on projects right here in San Leandro that can bring about positive change. We are particularly interested in hearing from disadvantaged and lower-income communities. They are often disproportionately affected by climate change effect but have less access to information and tend to be less engaged in advocating for themselves.
We build partnerships.
San Leandro is a community of change-makers and innovators. Businesses, community groups, local government and residents all can contribute to improving quality of life and climate resilience for all. We believe that many ideas exist, but not all voices are empowered, and often partners are needed to bring an initiative to fruition. We see our role as “matchmakers” as we seek out and elevate community-based solutions.
We find the money to
kickstart awesome projects.
Many ideas that have the potential to bring positive change need initial funding to get started. At San Leandro 2050, we use our expertise with regional and state-wide grant opportunities to connect budding projects with the funding they need and facilitate the application process. We also build and maintain relationships with donors in the business community who are supportive of our work and may also be able to contribute their expertise from a business perspective.
We advocate for positive policies.
Legislation on all levels – state, regional and local—is critical to enable and support climate and environmental justice work on the city and community level. We follow and advocate for policies that allocate funding for, or otherwise advance local action. For example, California Senate Bill 535 directs proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade program to benefit projects located in disadvantaged communities. We want to make sure San Leandro shares in those benefits. We also support the Green New Deal as a guiding principle to ensure climate action prioritizes disadvantaged communities in creating good jobs and improving quality of life. We advocate for these principles at the city level.
We keep up the dialogue.
At San Leandro 2050 we want to empower all San Leandro residents to be community leaders for climate resilience and quality of life in our city. That means building awareness for what’s a stake and what we as a community can do. We work with local media, social media and through our network of partners to make information accessible and engage in dialogue.