350PDX Climate Justice Platform 2026
350PDX advances climate justice by ending our dependence on fossil fuels, expanding clean energy and healthy ecosystems, and ensuring these transitions are equitable. We’re building a powerful, people-driven movement in and around Portland that connects communities, collaborates across coalitions, and drives policy change from the grassroots to City Hall.
The climate justice platform below represents our vision for Portland, including some specific climate-related policies we would like to see enacted by the City of Portland through policies set by the City Council.
This platform was created in consultation and collaboration with many other groups and organizations in Portland.
Climate Justice Platform Summary
Section 1: Integrated Climate Policies and Governance
- Infuse the City administrative structure and code with intentions of 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 support development of a new, ambitious Climate Action Plan.
- Allocate enough funding and authority to the Sustainability Office for current and future climate goals to be achieved.
Section 2: Equitable Clean Energy
- The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub, including Zenith Energy: draw down storage of fossil fuels and other toxic and greenhouse gas emitting substances on an earthquake liquefaction zone near the river, and in general.
- Oil and other liquid fuels and toxic substances transported by rail, ship, truck, and so forth: increase safety and reduce emissions.
- 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.
- Include planning for a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in each policy decision.
- Invest the City’s funds in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase human and labor rights.
Section 3: Increase Access to Clean, Affordable Energy
- Keep PCEF focused on climate and environmental justice with community benefit.
- Continuous funding for shade equity, tree canopy increase, and street tree maintenance.
- Jobs created using PCEF funds focus on labor rights, equity, and workforce development, with many jobs going to PCEF “priority communities.”
- Pass and implement Climate and Health Standards for Existing Buildings for buildings ≥20,000 square feet, add a policy for those starting at 5,000 square feet.
- Develop a 100% clean energy electrical grid that can handle the extra load due to electrification.
- Ban data centers unless and until climate, environmental, and justice concerns can be resolved.
Section 4: Build a Multi-Modal, People-Centered, and Climate Friendly Transportation System
- Pass a Transportation System Plan that enables transportation decarbonization, walkable neighborhoods, affordable and accessible transit, and pedestrian and biking infrastructure.
- Supports for workforce training and labor rights are developed and implemented alongside changes in infrastructure and construction policies.
Section 5: Healthy Ecosystems, Flourishing Communities
- Establish continuous funding to implement the 2025 Urban Forest Plan in order to increase tree canopy in heat-vulnerable neighborhoods through planting, protection, and street tree care.
- Portland Harbor: remediate the Superfund site, ensure river ecosystem health.
Section 1: Integrated Climate Policies & Governance
Climate Governance:
In order to effectively reduce Portland’s greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate and adapt to climate change, the City of Portland needs to have a cohesive plan that has enough funding with staffing and authority to carry it out.
The City of Portland established a Sustainability and Climate Commission in 2025, which will create a new Climate Action Plan. The success of the plan relies on adequate funding, intra-government cooperation and communication, and accountability.
Section 2: Equitable Clean Energy: Draw Down Fossil Fuel Dependence
Stop Zenith:
Zenith Energy operates a fuel storage facility and transloading terminal in NW Portland in the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub capable of storing 1.5 million barrels of fuel. In 2017, Zenith quietly started receiving tar sands and crude oil on dangerous mile-long trains that pose significant health and safety risks to everyone living nearby. This oil-by-rail operation isn’t even responding to Oregon’s energy needs; most, if not all, of the product Zenith handles is destined for overseas markets.
Safer Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub:
What is the CEI Hub?
The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub is a six mile stretch of industrial-zoned properties along the lower Willamette River. Over 350 million gallons of liquid fuels and other toxic materials are transported to and from the hub, stored in large bulk storage tanks. This includes over 90% of the liquid fuel used in Oregon. The tanks are located on unstable soils in a dangerous seismic zone, and in a wildland-urban interface fire zone that is also a railroad corridor. An accident in the CEI Hub would prove catastrophic to the ecological and social systems in Portland and the region, and would have economic consequences statewide.
Divest From Fossil Fuels
Divestment from fossil fuels and implementing socially responsible investment (SRI) are important because they are ways for the City of Portland to support its climate and equity goals through the investments it makes. Investments in corporations that are causing climate change, environmental injustice, and human rights abuses support these harmful practices; instead, the City’s money should encourage a just transition to a sustainable future for people and the planet. Disclosing the corporations and industries that constituents’ money is being invested in allows the City to make more informed decisions and receive input from the community.
Section 3: Increase Access to Clean, Affordable Energy
Clean Energy Transition:
The power grid is an essential piece of infrastructure in Portland that must become robust enough to handle electrification, that must transition to run on only clean energy, and that needs strong policies in place so the energy transition is also affordable and equitable. Many issues need to be addressed regarding the electricity supply. Both consumer-side and supply-side need to be taken into consideration when it comes to energy affordability, the construction of new infrastructure, and how the utilities that supply our energy are regulated.
Support the Portland Clean Energy Benefits Fund (PCEF):
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) is an innovative, crucial climate program focused on mitigating climate change, environmental inequity, and racism in order to reach Portland’s climate goals. PCEF so far has invested millions into projects such as community solar projects, urban farms and gardens, climate resilience, energy efficiency, installation of cooling units, planting and maintaining street trees, e-bikes, supporting climate-safe schools, and many more. PCEF is a fund for the Portland community. Support for the program and its goals are essential in the fight against climate change.
Reduce Building Emissions:
Green building codes are essential in ensuring that anything built in Portland contributes to the goal of reaching zero emissions by 2050. There are nationally recognized certifications like LEED, and City of Portland initiatives to update standards for commercial, industrial, and multifamily homes and rental apartments. These buildings account for a significant portion of Portland’s greenhouse gas emissions. By creating new standards for these properties, which often house low- and moderate-income residents, Portland can reduce energy consumption, lower utility costs for residents, and ultimately help cut carbon emissions.
Section 4: Build a Multi-Modal, People-Centered, and Climate Friendly Transportation System
Walking and rolling:
There are hundreds of miles of unfinished sidewalks and crossings in Portland. Increasing the ability for pedestrians to navigate their neighborhoods would reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions since they would not have to rely on fossil fuel powered vehicles, would make the City infrastructure safer and more equitable, would increase public health, and would increase the sense of community.
Increase Public Transit:
Public transit is a crucial piece of public infrastructure. When done well, it allows large numbers of people to move around a city easily and with low greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation accounts for the largest portion of emissions in the State of Oregon. Public transit can help reduce this by carrying more people per unit of energy used.
No Freeway Expansion:
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have for decades insisted that the proper response to urban congestion is continued widening of freeways. Both experience and academic research have built a solid case that expanding freeway capacity leads to an equal growth in traffic within a few years—it does not reduce traffic congestion.
Section 5: Healthy Ecosystems, Flourishing Communities
Shade Equity
The increasing frequency and severity of heatwaves attributed to human-caused climate change underscores the need to rapidly retrofit Portland neighborhoods for a resilient future. After the deadly 2021 heat dome, tree, pedestrian, and public health advocates came together to educate policymakers about an important component of climate resilience: the urban forest. Many Portland neighborhoods lack street trees, adequate pedestrian infrastructure, and other forms of public investment — often in historically redlined neighborhoods and low-income areas subject to redevelopment.
Portland Harbor:
The confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers make Portland an ideal location due to the convenience for trade and commerce. Unfortunately, river health and access for Portland residents has often been de-prioritized in Portland’s history, leading to dangerous levels of toxicity in riparian soil, groundwater, and surface water due to over a century of heavy industry. The Portland Harbor Superfund site is a 10-mile stretch of an extremely polluted section on the east side of the lower Willamette River. There is also a second designated site, McCormick & Baxter Superfund, that is located within the Portland Harbor Superfund but is on a different remediation plan.
Any questions? Please email info@350pdx.org.
Candidates who have endorsed the FULL 350PDX Climate Justice Platform 2026:
T.J. Anderson (D4)
Jeremy Beausoleil Smith (D4)
Joel Corcoran (D3)
Jamey Evenstar (D4)
Councilor Mitch Green (D4)
Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3)
Esther Leon (D3)
Councilor Angelita Morillo (D3)
Brandon Mullen (D3)
Kellie Torres (D3)
Candidates who have endorsed PARTS OF the 350PDX Climate Justice Platform 2026:
Eli Arnold (D4): Climate Governance, Safer Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, Divest from Fossil Fuels, Clean Energy Transition, Reduce Building Emissions, Walking & Rolling, Increase Public Transit, Shade Equity and Tree Canopy, Portland Harbor
We’re just beginning to circulate this platform. Encourage your preferred candidates to endorse!
