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Climate Justice Platform Summary
Section 1: Reduce risk from and exposure to emissions and toxic substances every day and in emergencies
- The Critical Energy Infrastructure hub, including Zenith: phase out storage of fossil fuels and other toxic and greenhouse gas emitting substances on an earthquaker liquefaction zone near the river, and in general.
- Oil and other toxic substances transported by rail, ship, truck, and so forth: increase safety and reduce emissions.
- Portland Harbor: remediate the Superfund site, ensure river ecosystem health
- Strengthen and support labor rights for safe and healthy workplaces in these areas, workforce development to transition to jobs in a green economy, and use of local, equitable, and union labor for infrastructure and remediation work
Section 2: Reduce environmental and climate injustice and support community benefits
- Keep PCEF focused on climate and environmental justice with community benefit
- Continuous funding for shade equity, tree canopy increase, and tree maintenance
- Jobs created using PCEF funds focus on labor rights, equity, and workforce development, with many jobs going to PCEF “priority communities”
Section 3: Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring equitable access to low emission transportation and energy
- Transportation decarbonization
- Affordable and accessible transit
- Building decarbonization
- Supports for workforce training and labor rights are developed and implemented alongside changes in infrastructure and construction policies
Section 4: Support climate governance
- Infuse the new City structure with awareness and climate change mitigation, support for environmental justice, and a focus on implementing sustainable practices in all areas of the City budget and decision making.
- Implement previous climate-related plans and budget enough money for current and future plans to be put into effect.
- Invest the City’s funds in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase human and labor rights.
Section 1: Reduce risk from and exposure to emissions and toxic substances every day and in emergencies
Zenith Energy:
Phase out Zenith Energy’s greenhouse gas emitting operations in Portland.
- Transparency and accountability in City Council’s interactions with Zenith Energy.
- Challenge the LUCS and potential ACDP decision.
- Phaseout of Zenith’s fuel operations in Portland.
CEI Hub:
Take steps to make the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub less dangerous, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other toxic substances.
- Create a City Council CEI Hub Committee.
- Work with other levels of government.
- Stronger public education about the dangers and risks.
- Create overlay zones to increase human and river health.
Portland Harbor:
The plans to clean up and remediate the Portland Harbor Superfund site and other river areas should be done in consultation with Indigenous people and other impacted stakeholders and in ways that promote river and public health.
- Community engagement and transparency around Portland Harbor Superfund remediation, the uses of the Superfund surcharge, and the dangers of living in or near the “blast zone.”
- Restart a plan for habitat restoration the City made with Indigenous tribal input; the plan has been archived.
- Public access to the river, including recreation areas and transit.
- Superfund remediation should include local hiring and good labor standards.
Section 2: Reduce environmental and climate injustice and support community benefits
PCEF:
Keep the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund focused on climate, environmental justice, and community benefit.
- No reduction of the clean energy surcharge or diversion of PCEF revenue away from climate and environmental justice projects with community benefits.
- Decisions about how to spend PCEF dollars must be made by the communities who are on the front lines of climate change and social inequities in Portland.
- Prioritize investing PCEF funds into building capacity and technical assistance for community-based organizations.
- PCEF-funded projects should mainly select people from PCEF “priority communities” as the workers, project planners, designers, and decision-makers on PCEF projects.
- Public education so a wide range of Portlanders know about projects such as Comprehensive E-bike Access and Cooling for All.
Shade Equity:
Ensure a healthy and equitable tree canopy across Portland.
- Secure protections for existing large-form trees in Portland to meet canopy goals.
- Ensure all new city plans and codes adopted in conjunction with state initiatives and bond measures include funding and optimal space for the healthy growth of additional large-form trees in both city rights-of-way and privately owned land.
- Expand tree code to cover all industrial areas in Portland.
- Safeguard and implement the street tree planting and maintenance program effectively and equitably.
- Ensure that the Urban Forest Plan clearly spells out and acts on the urgency of the climate crisis.
Section 3: Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring equitable access to low emission transportation and energy
No Freeway Widening:
Maintain current roadways and Interstates with a focus on equitable public health and economic outcomes, encourage alternative transportation, and do not expand freeways.
- Scrutinize all freeway expansion proposals to determine necessity and climate impact.
- Prioritize non- or low-emitting transportation alternatives.
- Ensure that safety investments do not compromise climate and environmental health.
- Consider equitable pricing and transportation demand management programs before freeway expansion.
Building Emissions:
Reduce emissions from Portland’s buildings through equitably encouraging efficiency retrofits, green building standards, tenant notifications, access to affordable and efficient heating and cooling, and using HEART Standards.
- Fully implement the HEART Standards (Healthy Housing, Equitable Energy, Anti-displacement, Resilience, Temperature).
- Multifamily home energy reporting: collect metrics to track whether we’re reaching emissions reduction goals.
- Beginning in 2025, implement tenant climate and health notifications.
- Continue promoting LEED certification for public buildings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
- Implement better cooling standards, including building retrofits and Right to Cooling.
Transit
Make public transit affordable and accessible while lowering emissions from transit and the public vehicle fleet.
- Move toward affordability through programs such as free transit for children under 18, a Free Rail Zone, and eventually fareless transit.
- Increase frequency of service and expand TriMet LIFT.
- Reduce Portland’s emissions through encouraging people to ride public transit, as well as reducing emissions of transit vehicles and other public vehicles.
Walking & Rolling
Increase sense of community, safety, and accessibility for those who walk and use wheeled vehicles for transport, and decrease vehicle emissions by encouraging pedestrians.
- A commitment to identifying and funding pedestrian infrastructure infill.
- A commitment to residential infill that will increase density.
- Businesses that meet daily needs within walking distance of residential neighborhoods.
Section 4: Support climate governance
Climate Governance
Incorporate climate change mitigation mitigation, environmental justice, and sustainable practices in all areas of City policy and governance, with funding to implement climate goals.
- Support the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) continuing in the City Administrator’s office.
- Ensure the Sustainability & Climate Commission (SCC) begins successfully.
- Form one or more committees related to climate, environment, and sustainability among City Council.
- Regularly require metrics showing progress on CAP, CEW, and any subsequent City plans related to climate and sustainability.
- Create a climate budget.
- Consistent, mandated funding to complete City plans and policies related to climate and sustainability.
Divest from fossil fuels
Reinstate or create a new commission overseeing socially responsible investment of the City’s funds.
- Bring back the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Committee that the City previously had, or create a new strategy for SRI.
- Develop strong criteria for SRI that will screen out funds heavily invested in fossil fuels, and other socially responsible investment strategies to uphold human rights as determined by the commission.
- Consider the labor practices of the investments the City engages in, particularly in the City’s private investment portfolio.
- Release a quarterly report disclosing the funds in which the City is invested, with as much detail as is allowable by law.
Any questions? Please email info@350pdx.org.
Candidates who have endorsed the full 350PDX Climate Justice Platform 2024:
Brian Conley (D3)
Marnie Glickman (D2)
Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3)
Chad Lykins (D4)
Peggy Sue Owens (D1)
Moses Ross (D4)
Laura Streib (D2)
Jonathan Tasini (D2)
Andra Vltavín (D4)
Many candidates have endorsed specific portions of the platform, especially the Shade Equity and CEI Hub platforms; see those platform sections for a list.
