SEDAC stands in solidarity with people around the world in mourning the death of George Floyd and countless other victims of police violence and racial injustice. We are committed to doing our part to combat the systemic racism that is prevalent in our world, including in the field of energy efficiency. We acknowledge that discriminatory laws, policies, and practices have shaped the energy efficiency landscape, limiting access to quality housing, clean air, energy efficiency services, education, and jobs.

We must do better. Moving forward, we will seek to deepen our relationships with people and communities of color, listening to them and working with them to create meaningful plans to promote environmental justice. We are committed to increasing access to energy efficiency services and jobs, and to identifying and addressing bias in the work we do.

We will begin our efforts by forming an environmental justice working group to propose, implement and oversee our actions. Initial efforts will focus on:

• Strengthening our connections with our local community and communities across the state
• Providing regular diversity and inclusion training for staff and partners
• Partnering with organizations that serve professionals and students of color to recruit for jobs, internships, and training
• Joining with other coalitions to promote environmental justice
• Reviewing programs and curriculum to ensure that they align with our equity goals