Winter is a time to reflect on the work behind us, the climate justice work ahead of us, and the ever-increasing impacts of extreme heat on the City and beyond. CEMO had many firsts this calendar year, most of which are below in the CEMO 2023 Year in Review section. Every day is an opportunity to make a positive impact. Even if not directly related to climate solutions, we can rest assured that our collective efforts will make a difference to improve the conditions that concern us. We must re-learn how to coexist with one another and nature, as our ancestors once knew so well, and to be responsible stewards of Earth: there is no Planet B.
Global decision-makers will need to press for a major overhaul to our approach for driving climate solutions. We must start with climate-vulnerable countries and environmental justice communities in the United States. Recent commitments for investments at the COP28 climate summit are a start, but are not enough. It will take all of us, and a more circular economy, to make a course correction that works. Community-driven requests for environmental justice globally require a political response: equitable investments in communities that have suffered the most from fossil fuel production, air pollution, and water contamination.
This also requires that while we decarbonize and reduce pollution in all sectors, we promote equitable adaptation, passive cooling, and nature-based solutions. We also must scale up climate justice finance to eliminate poverty, housing burdens, and food and water injustice, achieve economic parity for all, and increase resources to address existing and emerging loss and damage by increasing climate hazards such as extreme heat. Please join us in integrating advocacy for equitable climate solutions. Together, we will accelerate solutions, give everyone a role in this climate crisis, and help all to work in unity for real transformation!