bloomington indiana climate justice town hall

Project Summary

As the City of Bloomington, IN implements the Bloomington Climate Action Plan, some residents have asked how equity and justice will be prioritized. To explore the topic, the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability invited consultants from Environmental Justice Solutions (EJS), an environmental justice consulting firm based in Oakland, CA, to present on their racial equity impact assessment tool (REIA).  The REIA tool provides comprehensive recommendations and best practices to help staff at the City of Oakland maximize equity throughout the Oakland Equitable Climate Action Plan’s 10-year implementation period. The event opened conversation on environmental equity and justice issues with the Bloomington community, and the Commission hopes these discussions will lead to deeper integration of equity in Bloomington’s climate policies.   

On April 21, 2021, the City of Bloomington, IN passed a resolution to accept its first climate action plan as an advisory document for the City of Bloomington. The City’s Commission on Sustainability helps support the plan’s implementation, and the Commission wanted to ensure that equity and climate justice considerations were a top priority throughout decision-making processes and plan implementation. Several Commissioners started a “Just Transition Working Group” to understand how models for just and sustainable economic development could help improve Bloomington’s efforts.   

To promote public engagement on this topic, the Commission on Sustainability and Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development collaborated on a project proposal for the commission to host a town hall event to advance the community conversation around equity and climate justice. The commission hoped the event would provide insight into racial justice best practices that could be applied to Bloomington’s Climate Action Plan. To inform the discussion, the commission invited Environmental Justice Solutions, an environmental justice consulting firm based in Oakland, CA. Staff from Environmental Justice Solutions presented a racial equity and impact assessment (REIA) tool they developed to assist communities implementing environmental justice commitments and goals within their climate action plans.   

What is the Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REIA) Tool?

The racial equity impact assessment (REIA) is a tool to systematically evaluate how different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are impacted by proposed climate policies. The REIA also recommends actions to reduce, eliminate, and prevent discrimination in climate plan implementation. To reduce discrimination in climate plan implementation, the REIA includes an implementation guide to ensure climate policies center equity and creates a framework to prioritize and uplift frontline communities. This tool was developed by Environmental Justice Solutions for the City of Oakland, CA. Other local governments have developed similar frameworks to address environmental equity and vulnerability are considered when implementing their climate plans.

The Bloomington Commission on Sustainability partnered with the City of Bloomington's Department of Economic and Sustainable Development to organize and host the town hall. The Commission on Sustainability identified Environmental Justice Solutions (EJS), a consulting collective based in Oakland, CA, to share their racial equity impact assessment tool with Bloomington community members.

Several commissioners developed and presented a project proposal and resolution for the full commission to approve, outlining the event's objectives, funding, stakeholders, and partners. Once approved, the commission developed a two-phased communication strategy to advertise their event to the broader community and engage stakeholders in the conversation.

The event was divided into two parts. The first portion included a presentation from the commission and EJS on environmental equity and justice, as well as how the REIA tool was developed and utilized in Oakland. In the latter half, commissioners and the EJS presenters facilitated conversations among community members about climate equity issues in Bloomington. Running for two hours, the town hall was hosted in a hybrid format where approximately 20 percent of attendees gathered at Monroe County s Public Library and the other attendees attended via zoom to accommodate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding

The City of Bloomington’s Commission on Sustainability requested and secured $1,950 from the Economic and Sustainable Development Department  to fund the event. The funding covered hourly rates paid to Environmental Justice Solutions consultants presenting at the town hall, as well as the flyers and marketing materials for the event. Since  the town hall was hosted by a city commission, the reservation of Bloomington’s public library and the recording services during the event were both cost-free. 

Timeline

Commissioners proposed the idea for a Just Transition Working Group as part of the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability during the summer of 2021. By September of that year, the working group members began writing the proposal for the Just Transition Town Hall. After refining the resolution for the commission’s consideration, the event was approved in December of 2021. The event was held on March 16, 2022.   

Addressing climate equity with historically marginalized communities can be challenging for local governments. Improving equity in climate implementation requires a strong commitment and ongoing work to rebuild trust and repair harm from past practices, and the prioritization of underrepresented voices in decision-making. The commission started to address this through broad and inclusive outreach with diverse stakeholders for the town hall. Despite these efforts, the commission struggled getting sufficient representation in the room. However, commissioners remained hopeful the event will serve as an important step in their climate work.