Problem

When an issue has disproportionate effects on communities, the communities themselves should be part of the conversations for change. But we, and the City of Portland knew that’s not often the case. With a focus on our most vulnerable community members, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color populations, low-income individuals and families, and people with disabilities, PCEF wanted to find ways to increase awareness and engagement within these communities concerning the effects of climate change.

Solution

With PCEF invested in projects and programs that prioritize clean energy, transportation decarbonization, regenerative agriculture and green infrastructure, and climate action-related workforce development and contractor support — we knew this funding and programming needed more awareness and engagement from the communities themselves. As the city moves toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, we wanted to propel PCEF’s work to ensure residents are not only prepared, but heard and part of real solutions.

Through a series of roundtable discussions and in-depth interviews, we were able to invite residents of all kinds into conversations about climate change. With our direction, PCEF staff held over 10, 2-hour roundtable meetings for each funding priority in the Climate Investment Plan. These sessions informed the initial drafts for public review, incorporating input from community workshops and subject-matter experts.

Results

With input and strategic direction from 150+ Portland residents — including financial experts, small business owners, policymakers, and community leaders, our community made tangible change. In September 2023, Portland’s City Council unanimously voted to adopt and implement the Climate Investment Plan, in part, because of our social impact strategy, strategic planning, and inclusive community engagement process, and the amplified voices from community and subject matter expert input.

This plan is grounded in climate research, deep community engagement, and multiple rounds of input from residents, businesses, subject matter experts, government partners, and community organizations to ensure the proposed solutions address the needs of Portland residents hit first and hardest by climate change.