Publications

Abstract: Issued in conjunction with COP30, this paper maps Afro-Descendant leadership and our meaningful participation in global climate movements. Afro-Descendant people worldwide are disproportionately harmed by climate change and systemic racism – yet remain underrepresented in climate governance. The analysis highlights barriers such as lack of legal land rights, limited access to finance, and other structural injustices.

Abstract: This encyclopedia provides historical context for extractive economies, analyzes power structures, and offers a phased roadmap (2025-2035) for shifting toward a just and regenerative future. Building on the "Ten Mandates" blueprint, this report walks through five of the Ten Mandates – five political prerequisites to protect Black community and Black nation-controlled climate finance from historical and ongoing systemic destruction. The five "Political Prerequisites" are: reparative justice, legitimating multiple knowledge systems, participatory governance, transformation of international climate-finance architecture, and sustained resources for Black-led movements.

Abstract: Black Women and Femmes are leading the way to energy justice. This paper profiles the "solutionaries" driving our transition toward a regenerative and democratic energy future. Intersecting layers of injustices and marginalization – systemic racism, sexism, and economic inequality – drive higher rates of housing insecurity, health disparities, and energy poverty among Black women in the United States. Because Black women and femmes are disproportionately bearing these burdens, we are also blessed with their resilience and leadership. True energy justice will only be achieved by centering the unique needs and innovations of Black women and femmes.

Abstract: The current global climate finance system perpetuates colonial patterns of extraction and exclusion. Is it possible to transform – moving away from an extractive economy and towards a more regenerative economy? Yes! This report presents a comprehensive framework to restructure global climate finance by centering reparative justice and Black self-determination. The paper proposes Ten Mandates to shift power to frontline communities, with a goal of placing at least $1 trillion under democratic community control to support those most impacted by the climate crisis.

Abstract: Climate change impacts Black communities disproportionately, and this report identifies 15 key areas of differential impact, such as health, housing, and economic security. While Black communities suffer most from the current extractive economy that fuels climate change, we are also the vanguard of resilience strategies and solutions. The report presents 45 Black-led pathways to climate justice – focusing on a regenerative, equitable, and democratic future through diverse, community-driven initiatives.

Abstract: From the Trans-Atlantic human trafficking massacre to the current climate crisis, a consistent thread in the story of Black people in America is displacement and forced migration. Systemic racism and climate change are tangled in the same root system of white supremacy, and as usual it is Black communities that are disproportionately impacted.

Abstract: How many of us fully understand who are the entities responsible for ensuring the air we breathe and is clean and whether the energy we use is safe? For maintaining affordable electric bills? For providing access to resources to help us conserve energy? For ensuring that customers are not cut off from our heat, our water, and our electricity supply?

Abstract: Black children experience the trauma of racism even before they are born, and are confronted throughout their lives by a system designed not to support them. This report from The Chisholm Legacy Project and Children's Environmental Health Network details heartbreaking statistics that represent the lived realities of millions of Black children across the nation due to racist policies and practices — including redlining, the placement of hazardous waste facilities, and systemic exclusion from shared resources. The paper explores the ways that historic and persistent inequities compound jeopardy for Black children and proposes a framework for a Just Transition, embracing systems that enable us to all share in abundance and thrive together, supporting all children's futures.

Abstract: We began this research when some of us noticed a pointed silence around the issues of women, femmes, and gender diverse people in the climate justice arena, while others were noticing that folks were woefully unaware of the threat climate crisis poses for those marginalized along the axis of gender. We wondered what would happen if we dug deeper into this junction. We heard the stories of 25+ organizations working at this intersection, and we are now presenting you with the findings from that work!