Campaign Principles

It’s important for us to align around a common set of values and principles to guide our work and movement.

The Sierra Club has committed to the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing as part of its journey to become a more just, equitable, and inclusive organization. In addition to adopting these principles, Ready For 100 also created our own campaign principles that articulate how we hope to do this work in the world and with each other.

We ask everyone who contributes to Ready For 100 to sign on to these principles with us, in order to foster a culture of equity, community, personal responsibility, and collective accountability. By signing on, you are agreeing to model these principles as a Ready For 100 activist and will ensure that the volunteers and partners you work with are also aware of and committed to practicing them.

Campaign Principles

Our energy systems need to be rooted in equity, democracy, and local agency.

If we are to build long-term power through this work, then the process and policies that get us to 100% clean, renewable energy must be just, equitable, and inclusive of the leadership of communities on the frontlines of climate disruption and environmental injustices. In this country Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color contribute less and suffer more from pollution than white communities. Communities of color have also had less access to jobs and benefits from clean energy. This has to change.

We are a solutions campaign.

We are aiming for deep energy savings and 100% clean, renewable energy for all. Renewable energy already has the support of a majority of Americans. Research shows that both belief in 100% renewable energy and support for the goal increase when individuals are exposed to clean energy successes—then we can move them to action. Having a bold vision demonstrates what we value, and invites everyone to join us.

Anyone can join us; everyone can contribute.

Everyone who embraces these principles can find a place in this campaign, either through working toward clean energy commitments and transition strategies in their local community, collecting and sharing clean energy stories, or supporting and training volunteers and organizers.

We prioritize relationships.

We build strong, rooted relationships with each other before beginning the difficult work to be done. We value sharing power with leaders, activists, and partners to build a movement. Real solutions ensure that people will have direct democratic control over decisions that affect their daily lives, and that those who have been most affected by the systems that got us here can lead the way to solutions. This means that early and thorough consultation and joint planning with local partners and stakeholders is essential.

We prioritize leadership from the local community.

We respect the expertise and local knowledge of chapters, groups, volunteers, and partners. Each community’s campaign and clean energy solutions will be unique, and local communities should develop strategies informed by their local context. We work to build long-term capacity of both Sierra Club groups and frontline partners, strive to share power across organizations, and create agreements for transparency and accountability.

We recognize and acknowledge historical inequality in the work of Sierra Club, and work toward equity.

Sierra Club has come a long way in its history of change. We acknowledge our history— that which is beautiful and that which is problematic. We seek to understand the history of inequality in our work and in the communities we have worked in, and create plans that work toward equity and the resourcing of communities. We hold equity as a principle over fairness.

How we get there is as important as getting there.

We cannot end pollution in a durable way and move beyond an extractive energy system without healing the broken relationships and systemic injustices that create it. We must grow equity and justice for all and take responsibility for our own behavior to build the community connections, trust, and power required by this challenge.

Compliance

By agreeing to our Campaign Principles you are also agreeing to follow our compliance guidelines. As a reminder, Ready For 100 is a C3-funded Sierra Club program to engage in public education and administrative advocacy to build support for a transition to 100% clean energy. There is a separate and parallel C4 program called Ready For 100 Action, which is responsible for all legislative lobbying.

Reach out to compliance.review@sierraclub.org with any compliance questions.

Brand

By agreeing to our Campaign Principles you are also agreeing to follow these Ready For 100 Brand and Style Guide Requirements:

• Conduct your Ready For 100 work in a manner consistent with the Campaign Principles (see above).

• Use Ready For 100 Brand Materials only to promote our shared campaign goals.

• Understand and follow the rules about when to use the campaign graphic, and when to use the campaign logo. See RF100 Style guide.

• And when to use Ready For 100 501(c)3 branding, and when to use Ready For 100 Action 501(c)4 branding. See RF100 Compliance Guidance.

• Never use Ready For 100 Brand Materials for commercial purposes, without written permission from Sierra Club. See Sierra Club Brand Style Guide.

• Ready For 100 Brand Materials (including any swag materials, campaign logo, campaign graphics, and all customized graphics prepared for use in the campaign) are Sierra Club trademarks. By using these materials you are acknowledging that you are doing so under a revocable license from Sierra Club.

• Ready For 100 campaign logo (the one with the tree) may not be modified, and may not be used by other organizations without explicit written authorization. Sierra Club staff should consult with their managers before using Ready For 100 logos. Members and volunteers should consult their local chapter or Ready For 100 national team.