Two trillion dollars of federal funding to fight climate change and build infrastructure is coming to our communities, and will transform them for a generation.
This investment offers opportunities for local governments to advance racial and economic justice by funding high road jobs and training programs, developing public capacity and countering decades of environmental harm; but it also brings risks of displacement pressure and further privatization.
Today we are excited to release a new resource to help local elected officials and organized communities lead with our shared values and seize this opportunity.
Informed by the expertise of our equity and economic justice partner organizations, this memo identifies opportunities for local elected officials to provide oversight on local infrastructure and climate investments, pass parallel guardrail policies, and seize new opportunities to build public union-made infrastructure, while furthering environmental justice and leading their local energy transition.
The memo includes:
- Updates on the implementation status and equity hooks embedded in recent large federal spending bills including ARPA, IIJA and IRA, and CHIPS.
- Shared principles for federal funding implementation locally, including targeting investments equitably, creating good jobs, building local government capacity and fostering meaningful community input.
- Local tools and best practices to realize these shared values.
Read the full memo here.
With the right information and coordination, Local Progress members and partners can lead their local energy and economic transition in ways that build power for workers and build stable, healthy, and resilient communities.
Looking for more resources? Check out our resource library! We highlight solutions to the most pressing problems and the best practices from the network.
