Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Launched in 2017, the State Climate Policy Network (SCPN) is an online network that facilitates interstate collaboration in the climate movement and assists state climate policy actors. For an audience of 17,500+ climate advocates, policymakers, researchers, and executive branch officials, the SCPN provides free access to national webinars and coordination calls, member assistance from CXC staff and partners, and a curated newsletter. Climate XChange recently completed a 5-year strategic plan for the organization, of which the SCPN is a central pillar.

At its core, the SCPN exists to help climate leaders meet their needs. By supporting state actors, we maximize the impacts of state work and federal funding opportunities such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). We are seeking support from the Keeling Curve Prize to advance our services, cater our offerings to the new federal climate policy landscape, and expand and maintain our audience.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

GHG reductions, whether from replacing GHG sources or reducing them, are a result of many factors including behavioral change, technological innovation, economic trends, and cultural progress. Public policy, with a major role in each of these areas, serves as a key driver in all forms of GHG mitigation and as a key vehicle for the transition to a zero-emissions economy.

For example, the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are projected (https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-08/8.18%20InflationReductionAct_Factsheet_Final.pdf) to reduce emissions by nearly 1,150 MMT CO2e by 2030. However, this estimate is made under the assumption that these policies are carried out efficiently and effectively.

Federal programs have significant implementation steps to be carried out at the state and local level, and states require additional substantial action in order to stay on track with 2030 and 2050 GHG targets. Whether states succeed in hitting these targets or not is a product of their policy and implementation choices.

State climate policy is a technical arena that requires heavy involvement by legislators, executive branch officials, advocates, and other stakeholders. Thus, the success of a state’s climate policy heavily depends on the resources, involvement, and influence of the climate movement in a given state.

The SCPN reduces GHGs by empowering this movement, within and across state lines. The SCPN’s offerings provide state actors with powerful information, tools, and connections that help them advance their climate work farther than they otherwise would have. These free offerings include:
-Direct technical assistance to SCPN members on bill drafting, policy analysis, and state landscape analyses
-Virtual national events: Monthly National SCPN Calls, Monthly Deep Dive Webinars, and Quarterly Legislator Calls
-A bi-weekly newsletter, including recent state climate policy progress, new resources, and invites to events.


In its most basic form, the SCPN saves climate actors time and resources that can be directed towards high-leverage activities to advance climate action through state policy or federal funding opportunities. In its most impactful cases, the SCPN equips a state actor with new information or connections that lead to new or improved state climate policies that otherwise would not have occurred.

A 2022 study (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-022-03319-w) on climate policy conflict in U.S. states finds that “there is a need for enhanced coordination among climate policy advocates and potential coalition partners.” The SCPN serves to improve this coordination by providing avenues for collaboration across disciplines and state lines towards a common goal of advancing climate policy.

Thus, every program and interaction facilitated by the SCPN has the opportunity to reduce GHGs by advancing state climate action farther than it otherwise would have, through state policy or leveraging federal funding. Some of these interactions have a much higher chance (i.e. CXC staff drafting a bill), whereas other programs provide a broader indirect impact (i.e. a newsletter updating the network on recent policy progress).

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

The SCPN works to identify and support state climate policy that is both effective and equitable, recognizing that without a lens of equity and justice, no climate policy is fully effective. All SCPN offerings, including events, research, articles, and technical assistance, are free and accessible to all, in an effort to reduce structural barriers for under-resourced communities and organizations attempting to achieve climate justice. As a digital program, we cater to all 50 states, including those that are underserved by the traditional climate movement.

We routinely revamp our outreach to ensure we are including not only mainstream climate actors but also environmental justice, frontline, and grassroots activists and organizations. Further, we integrate climate equity into our programming; in 2022, SCPN webinar topics included prioritizing and working alongside grassroots youth climate activism, developing equitable state and local climate programs, structuring state governments to prioritize environmental justice, and implementing Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.

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