HOPE'S Energy POLICY Toolkit

Energy issues are significant to California, and yet less than 3% of various energy board positions are held by Latinas. To illustrate how public decisions impact the environment and economy of our state, HOPE has created a “community kit” focused on educating more Latina leaders about California’s climate change policy. In turn, this knowledge will translate into action within Latinas’ current and future roles as leaders of their organizations and communities.

This toolkit concentrates on the California's Global Solutions Act (AB32, 2006):

A Letter from hope's executive director

Welcome!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership to empower our communities and advance the status of Latinas over the last 30 years. We are proud to share with you HOPE’s Energy Policy Toolkit. 

Climate change is a Latina issue. Now more than ever, it is critical our communities are equipped with knowledge and resources around energy policy – one of the key factors in mitigating negative impacts of climate change.  As the largest and most rapidly expanding US population who also happen to be concentrated in urban areas, Latinos and their families will disproportionately feel economic and health consequences of climate change. Despite this economic and geographic vulnerability to climate change, Latino representation on energy boards and commissions remains minimal and largely stagnant. Latina voices must continue to make themselves heard as states transition to more efficient energy use to meet these critical carbon reduction goals.

Our lives and livelihoods depend on knowledge and action.

This Toolkit builds on our last three years of energy activities first presented at HOPE’s Latina Empowerment Day in 2017. We listened and incorporated feedback from the hundreds of Latinas who participated. With refreshed facilitator information, updated videos, along with our popular interactive and educational “Cap-and-Trade Game” (created specifically for HOPE by Sara Turner, Pardee RAND Graduate School), this Toolkit will provide the clarity and guidance your community needs to navigate the complexities around California’s recent environmental protection efforts.

We hope the resources contained in this toolkit will help facilitate dialogue and motivate your community members to seek out leadership positions. It’s imperative that we stay informed and involved around the Energy issues that affect California’s 7.4 million Latinas.

Facilitators and participants are strongly encouraged to share learnings, successes and goals with Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, and within their own networks! Every action moves us toward a more sustainable, healthy and prosperous future.

Sincerely,

Helen Torres

CEO

Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE)

the toolkit

Additional Resources

We’ve identified important terms to know and curated up-to-date information on California’s progress towards our energy goals. Our aim is to provide a balanced perspective on these issues. Where available. you will see each resource labeled  with its source - energy industry, advocacy/research org, news agency or government agency.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Cap AND TRADE 

housing

Utilities 

TRANSPORTATION

Climate Change and sustainability 

Podcasts