Unite Oregon’s Work to Build Climate Resilience

Oregon’s 2023 legislative session offered an array of challenges, but it ended with a strong push as lawmakers worked quickly to pass hundreds of bills. One of the most exciting of these is the HB 2409 Climate Resilience Package, a bill that Unite Oregon has worked tirelessly on together with a strong coalition.

The Climate Resilience Package promotes a healthier and safer Oregon for generations to come. It has numerous effects that will bring clean energy solutions to more Oregonians as our state continues to face climate change and the detrimental effect it has on our environment and daily life. The bill ensures more Oregonians will have efficiency updates, thereby promising safer solutions to the effects of climate change as well as reducing rising energy costs.

Furthermore, new buildings will be constructed to reduce climate pollution and serve as a safe space for Oregonians during extreme weather seasons. Our state has continued to see increased wildfire activity and extreme temperatures, and these buildings will aim to protect Oregonians from the smoke and heat.

Finally, the bill also puts Oregon in a position to secure funding from federal climate action dollars. Which will amplify Oregon’s ability to prepare, respond, and recover from environmental disasters. .

The exciting achievement of the Climate Resilience Package would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our amazing coalition. Unite Oregon partnered with advocates, business owners, and a plethora of organizations (addressing worker and immigrant rights, climate justice and public health, faith and frontline communities, environmental advocacy and more). The coalition showed up to a variety of legislative hearings across Oregon to ensure that budget writers prioritized climate action, and again in Salem as our bills moved through the legislative process, including a Senate Republican Walkout.

This was a clear example of how concrete change can be achieved when we work together. Every voice mattered in making a difference. Our advocates, including community members, were at the Capitol in April for Building Resilience Lobby Day, meeting with lawmakers and urging them to pass the policies. They rallied to end the shutdown after Senate Republicans tried to shut down the session. They made their voices heard online, submitting powerful testimony.

Our work focused on portraying one clear message: climate action cannot wait. Thanks to the tireless work of our coalition, the Climate Resilience Package ensures we won’t have to wait any longer. In the meantime, we will continue our fight until our community members' needs are met. 

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