Sustainable States Network 2020 Annual Meeting Reflections

Rachel Percy, SSN Student Intern, Macalester College

Amidst a pandemic that has greatly exposed the wounds of our public health system, climate policies, and racial landscape, we have been reminded of the power that comes from collective effort. Honest progress towards a better future rests on individuals joining together to innovate and collaborate for a shared vision. These are the ideals of the Sustainable States Network (SSN), a multi-state network of state-wide programs that support local sustainability and climate action, whose vision is “build a future where sustainability is the norm for every community.” This past semester I had the opportunity to join the Great Plains Institute and SSN in preparing for their annual meeting–virtual for the first time. As an Environmental Studies major at Macalester College (Saint Paul, MN) attending classes online, I was eager to contribute my time to helping professionals in the environmental field connect with one another. What appealed to me about SSN was its national breadth, exposing me to the work of many states simultaneously. Having grown up in the Boston area, my interests tend towards urban sustainability and urban environments, so it was an added bonus to expand my view on what climate work looks like at the local level. 

Leading up to the annual meeting, I drafted and sent out a survey to both current and potential SSN members to track their progress over the past year. I learned that COVID had impacted many local governments by reducing budgets, sometimes delaying projects, and requiring a rethinking of community participation. Despite these obstacles, I was impressed to see that members of the network remained invested in engaging with their communities and collaborating with other states and that communities remained engaged.  

The four-day annual meeting in December attracted more than 120 attendees with sessions centered on three main themes: Scaling Local Impact Nationally, Keeping State-level Programs Updated, and Supporting Community Action. While I attended several, the one that stood out to me the most was the Energy and Climate Equity session. Dr. Surili Sutaria Patel of the Center for Climate, Health, and Equity, APHA spoke to the vision of an energy just future, defined to be one where “energy is affordable, power is distributed, and profits are reinvested into local communities.” At the time, I was taking a course titled Environmental Sociology. Dr. Patel’s presentation deeply resonated with my class discussions on the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and how energy injustices exacerbate the impacts of natural disasters, which are increasing in severity and frequency due to climate change. This spring I am taking a physics course on Renewable Energy Systems where we have also discussed the social impacts of certain energy systems compared to others. As Dr. Patel noted, one of the goals of an energy just future is to attain energy equity, defined as the fair distribution of benefits and burdens from energy production and consumption. As the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear, access to energy is a necessity. With energy demands predicted to rise in the future, we all have a role to play in advocating for an equitable expansion of the energy grid.  

 One of the ways that people can act towards an energy just future, as Dr. Patel stated, is to strengthen community partnerships. In light of COVID-19, we have been reminded of the importance of our immediate communities and the responsibility we all have to do our part to ensure a healthy environment for our neighbors. Especially when thinking about how to strengthen racial equity and inclusion, an intimate knowledge and investment in a community will help policy makers and policy advocates be more impactful and effective in their work.  

My experience with SSN reminds me that people in states across the country are committing themselves to this hard work. As I have learned, sustainability means far more than reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A commitment to sustainability must also entail a dedication to healthy living spaces, access to resources, and just policies that result from community engagement. I am inspired to see this work happening at the state level and am eager to be involved with it. While the process of addressing environmental racism and working to incorporate equity is slow and not without its own opposing forces, I often think of the title of Howard Zinn’s memoir: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train. Taking action matters. Advocating for yourself and your neighbors matters. I am motivated by the dedication of SSN members to build just and sustainable communities and am hopeful of the change that can happen in the upcoming year.  

Rachel Percy was a Sustainable States Network student intern from Macalester College in Fall 2020. To learn more about the Sustainable States Network, please contact the Network Coordinator, Lola Schoenrich at lschoenrich@gpisd.net.