‘Whack every mole’: Climate report measures effect of local action
About a metric ton of carbon dioxide, equal to 2,200 pounds, could be mitigated for each philanthropic dollar invested in local climate efforts through 2030, according to a new report.
“With less than 2% of global philanthropic funding dedicated to addressing the climate crisis, philanthropy needs to invest heavily in state and local strategies to make progress and protect national gains,” the report says.
The report, called “Changing the Game: Community-based strategies and climate mitigation,” was released Monday. The report was produced by Redstone Strategy Group for sponsors that included the Marin Community Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Equation Campaign.
The report comes at a time when the climate crisis is worsening and the Trump administration is pushing fossil fuels, taking away climate funding and reversing green policies.
“The report is harkening back to the old motto that folks should think globally, but act locally,” said Rhea Suh, president and chief executive officer of the Marin Community Foundation. “And I think there’s really never been a more important time to follow that mantra.”
Suh said the first-of-its-kind report analyzes 15 emission-reduction efforts in the United States and Canada that had measurable and significant mitigation with a big return on investment. The analysis did not include projects that failed.
The efforts studied were in four categories: state and local legislation; renewable energy development; supply-side strategies; and implementation efforts.
The report found that the efforts profiled would remove 1 million to 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2030, with some efforts bringing greater impacts.
On the legislation side, the report looked at New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which caps emissions and funds disadvantaged communities. The effort avoids 58 million to 120 million metric tons of emissions at the cost of about $10 million, the report says.
The effort to cancel the Keystone pipeline, which would have conveyed tons of crude oil from Canada to the United States, is featured in the report as a supply-side strategy. The effort avoids 52 million to 105 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030, the report says.
Several efforts in California were also studied, including the state’s regulation to increase sales of zero-emissions trucks; financial incentives for solar at apartment complexes; and San Jose’s mandate for all-electric construction.
The efforts have one common theme — they were all grassroots efforts or strongly supported by the communities most affected, the report says.
“People are going to stand up and throw down for things that they love and things that they are viscerally connected to, their neighborhood, their community, their land, their children’s health, their clean air and water,” said Katie Redford, executive director of the Equation Campaign.
Redford said the climate crisis, being a global problem, draws a critique that it’s too big and there is not time to focus on local efforts because “that’s just whack-a-mole.”
“We’re at the point where we have to whack every mole,” Redford said. “We need all hands on deck to solve it, because the scale and speed with which we have to address the problem is just huge.”
Suh said Marin County has always been a leader in climate change mitigation. She said the report shows that local efforts matter and influence state and national policy shifts. Suh said Marin County planners, leaders, activists and philanthropic groups can use the information to drive new efforts.
The Marin Community Foundation is one of the largest foundations in the country, overseeing $3.5 billion in philanthropic assets and distributing about $150 million annually in grants, according to the nonprofit. Since 1990, it has invested about $50 million in climate-related work in Marin.
The report is available at bit.ly/3IFaC6y.
Dana Armanino, sustainability planner for Marin County, said she agrees with the conclusion of the report.
“Acting locally is an important place to start when trying to tackle climate change sources and impacts,” she said. “Programs and policies launched locally can have real impacts beyond just the local community.”
For example, in 2019 Marin was the first county in the nation to adopt an ordinance requiring construction projects to use concrete with lower carbon content. Concrete is known in the industry to make up 8% of global carbon emissions. After Marin’s adoption, many jurisdictions across the country have followed suit, she said.
Additionally, local concrete suppliers have added compliant mixes to their offerings, and they are being purchased for projects throughout the county.
“The market is shifting,” she said.
According to the Marin County greenhouse gas inventory report in 2023, its most recent year, the county has reduced emissions to 23% below 1990 equivalent levels. Marin’s goal is to reduce countywide emissions to 40% below 1990 levels.
“Marin is stepping up its local climate action,” said Bill Carney of Sustainable San Rafael. “Just this year, the county is reorganizing and prioritizing its climate efforts.”
Carney said the county has set up a public-private partnership called MarinCAN that has identified specific actions to reduce carbon pollution, given sufficient funding and regulations. These include programs like Electrify Marin, Ride and Drive Clean, the Marin Carbon Project and Resilient Neighborhoods.
“Local resources and regulation are key to climate success, especially in the face of current federal backsliding,” he said.
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