Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Name	Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Founded	2007
Founders	Marshall Saunders
Type	Nonprofit advocacy organization
Headquarters	Coronado, California, United States
Area served	International
Focus	Climate policy, carbon pricing, climate legislation

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a grassroots advocacy organization founded in 2007 that promotes national and international climate change policy through local chapters and congressional outreach. The group is known for advocating market-based mechanisms such as carbon pricing and for training volunteers to engage with elected officials including members of the United States Congress, provincial legislatures in Canada, and municipal councils in cities like San Diego and Ottawa. Its activities intersect with major events and institutions including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, and policy debates in legislatures such as the U.S. House of Representatives and the Canadian Parliament.

History

Founded in 2007 by Marshall Saunders in Coronado, California, the organization grew from community meetings to an international network with chapters in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Early activities connected with policy moments such as the passage debates over the Waxman-Markey Bill and the deliberations leading to the Paris Agreement in 2015. Over its history the group has interacted with policymakers from administrations including those of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, and has partnered or encountered advocacy groups such as Sierra Club, 350.org, and Conservative Climate Caucus. Its timeline also includes engagement with legislative proposals like the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act and participation in public forums connected to climate litigation cases such as Juliana v. United States.

Organization and Structure

The organization operates through a national office and a decentralized network of local chapters modeled on constituency-based organizing used by groups like League of Women Voters and Common Cause. Chapters are chartered and led by volunteer coordinators who liaise with regional coordinators and staff drawn from nonprofit sector norms exemplified by The Nature Conservancy and World Resources Institute. Governance includes a national board of directors and advisory councils that have included figures from academia and policy institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard Kennedy School, and think tanks like Resources for the Future. Funding sources reflect a mix common to nonprofits including individual donations, foundation grants from entities similar to MacArthur Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, and event fundraising.

Programs and Campaigns

Programs emphasize citizen lobbying, professional development, and public outreach, following models used by Americans for Prosperity and League of Conservation Voters in constituent mobilization. Signature campaigns have centered on carbon pricing legislation such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act and international outreach at UNFCCC conferences. Training programs include constituent lobbying workshops, climate communications curricula influenced by research from institutions like Yale University and George Mason University, and volunteer tracking systems comparable to tools used by MoveOn and Indivisible (organization). The group has run targeted campaigns during election cycles, coordinating with state-level efforts in jurisdictions such as California, New York, and Ontario.

Policy Positions and Legislative Advocacy

The organization advocates a revenue-neutral carbon fee with dividends to households, a policy approach similar to proposals from economists associated with Columbia University, MIT, and the Brookings Institution. It has promoted specific bills such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act and supported mechanisms for border adjustments akin to proposals debated in the European Union and the WTO context. The group encourages bipartisan support, engaging lawmakers across caucuses including the House Climate Solutions Caucus and the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, and has testified before committees such as the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Canadian Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

Methods and Tools

Methods include constituent lobbying, as practiced in campaigns by AARP and National Rifle Association, letter-writing campaigns, and community presentations using messaging research from centers like the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Tools include volunteer databases, phone-banking systems, and social media strategies leveraging platforms such as Twitter and Facebook for outreach. The organization emphasizes face-to-face meetings with elected officials, following advocacy practices common to groups like Americans for Prosperity and Sierra Club, and uses policy briefs referencing analyses from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and modeling from National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and scholars from universities including University of California, Berkeley have questioned the emphasis on market mechanisms and carbon fees versus regulatory approaches exemplified by Clean Air Act-style policies. Some progressive activists argue the strategy risks privileging corporate-friendly frameworks similar to criticisms leveled at cap and trade schemes debated in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme era. There have been debates over funding transparency and alliances, with comparisons drawn to controversies surrounding nonprofit funding in cases involving organizations like Sierra Club Foundation and Friends of the Earth. Opponents in certain political circles, including members of the Tea Party movement and some fossil fuel industry-aligned actors, have challenged its bipartisan outreach and support for carbon pricing.

Category:Climate change organizations