Collaboration: A Missing Piece in the Governor’s Playbook

The NBA playoffs have captivated fans across California, where the stakes were high for our state's teams. Unfortunately, we fell short.

Watching games with friends, my work-obsessed brain couldn't help but draw a parallel between environmental politics and basketball: both rely on strategy and teamwork to achieve success. In the ongoing drama of California's climate policy, the environmental community plays a vital role. We’re like an agile point guard, actively contributing to climate solutions.

However, the recent unveiling of Governor Newsom’s infrastructure package, supposedly developed over the past year, exposes a significant lack of genuine collaboration between the Governor’s office and environmentalists. Similar to a ball-dominant star player disregarding open teammates, the Governor's actions have marginalized and underutilized the expertise of environmental and environmental justice groups, which has left our members and the communities we represent sidelined.

Environmental and environmental justice organizations recognize that, just as a basketball team relies on fluid passing and coordination, teamwork and collaboration between government and advocacy groups are crucial to driving the necessary and equitable policy changes to combat the urgent climate crisis. Just as players on the court work together to score points and secure victories, Sierra Club and its allies have joined forces to pass numerous pieces of legislation and regulations that protect our air and waterways, preserve ecosystems and lands, and build a more just society for underserved communities. Together, we form a formidable team, dribbling past obstacles, making strategic shots, and aiming for the ultimate goal of a sustainable and equitable future.
 

Although the Governor claims to be on the same team as us, and working towards the same goal, that doesn’t appear to always be the case. Environmental and EJ groups understand the urgency of the climate crisis more than anyone. We are quite literally paid (not well) to develop solutions to combat it. So if there’s one community to help develop a climate emergency executive order and accompanying legislative package, it would be the groups on the ground who understand what resources are needed and how we can address the impacts without unintended consequences. 

Unfortunately, we find ourselves frequently left out of the huddle, and in the dark about important  proposals and the legislatives processes used to push them forward. Last week, Sierra Club California joined a diverse coalition of 75 organizations signing an open letter to  oppose the Governor's efforts to impose environmental policy through the opaque budget process.

While our desire is to be proactive and aid in the policy development process, the reality is that the environmental community often finds itself in a reactive position due to the Governor and his administration's decision not to include us in vital conversations around California’s climate future.

 It is essential for the Governor to actively engage with environmental groups and consider our input in order to effectively address environmental issues. The Governor can tap into a wealth of innovative ideas and solutions, by involving the environmental community in meaningful discussions around climate policy and leveraging our centuries of combined experience - just as a basketball team benefits from the strategic insights of its players. 

True collaboration requires not only listening to environmental groups but also incorporating their suggestions into policies and initiatives. This inclusive approach fosters a sense of ownership and shared responsibility, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes for the environment and the state as a whole. We’re all on the same team, and it’s our hope that for the Governor’s next major push on climate, he passes the environmental community the ball.

Sincerely,