As a campaign, it’s important for us to establish a common understanding of our vision, values, principles, and goals. We ask each new group to sign-on to the Ready for 100 Campaign Principles in order to foster a culture of equity, community, and personal responsibility.
Joining this Sierra Club campaign means you are committed to the goals of Ready for 100 (RF100), acknowledge and work to address oppression and discrimination, and share a desire to create a 100% clean, renewable energy future that is just, equitable, and inclusive. By signing up to be a community leader in the RF100 campaign, you are committing to modeling these principles in the local RF100 work you do and to ensuring that the volunteers and partners you bring into the campaign are also aware of and committed to practicing them.
All Ready for 100 groups must read, agree to, and follow these Principles. By agreeing, your group is formally added to the campaign.
Sign on to these Principles by completing the form here.
Vision
We envision healthy, thriving communities across the United States, powered by affordable, community-based, and 100% clean, renewable sources of energy; where our energy system is predicated on racial, economic and environmental justice; where a thriving workforce has access to secure, safe and sustainable jobs; and where there is democratic accountability to ensure that the energy industry is fair, just and aligned with the public interest.
We advocate for clean, affordable, renewable energy systems rooted in equity, democracy, and local agency. We are committed to working in collaboration with communities to foster love and connection, and to strive for justice by acknowledging and addressing inequality.
As part of the Sierra Club’s journey to becoming a more just, equitable, and inclusive organization internally and externally, the Sierra Club board of directors adopted the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing in 2014. The Ready for 100 Campaign is committed to applying the Jemez Principles in our planning, implementation, and training of staff and volunteers working on the campaign.
Our energy systems need to be rooted in equity, democracy, and local agency. If we are to build long-term power through this work, then the process and policies that get us to 100% renewable energy must be just, equitable, and inclusive of the leadership of communities on the frontlines of climate disruption. A just world is one where all people are treated with dignity and respect, have their basic human needs met, and have the freedom and self-determination to make choices for themselves without fear of persecution, discrimination, or violence. Our commitment to justice means that we will create local RF100 campaigns that are based on collective thinking and collaboration with those who share our values. We are advocating for a transition to renewable energy that helps to democratize our energy system, decentralize our energy infrastructure, improve grid reliability, and equitably distribute the economic benefits of owning and generating energy. Local campaign milestones and commitments should adhere to the Guidelines for Community Commitments to 100% Renewable Energy.
Anyone can join us; everyone can contribute. The Ready for 100 campaign is accelerating the transition to an equitable, democratic, and decentralized 100% clean, renewable energy system by 2050 in the U.S. Organizers are working with their civic leaders to secure city-level commitments to 100% clean, renewable energy and to begin transitioning their communities to renewable energy in an equitable, inclusive, and just way. Nationally these stories are being shared and amplified—building the public will necessary to drive support, belief, and action toward 100% clean renewable energy on a national scale. Everyone can find a place in this campaign, either through working toward commitments in their local community, collecting and sharing clean energy stories, or supporting and mentoring volunteers and organizers by joining a national team.
We are powering this movement together, for the long-term. Nationally, this campaign follows a distributed model of organizing that focuses on the power of distributed collective action. Our movement is led by communities from the ground up, creates interconnected networks of local leaders supporting each other, and builds more leaderful and powerful movements.
We prioritize relationships. We build strong, rooted relationships with each other before beginning the difficult work to be done. We value sharing power with leaders, activists, and partners to build a movement. Real solutions ensure that people will have direct democratic control over decisions that affect their daily lives, and that those who have been most affected by the systems that got us here can lead the way to solutions. This means that early and thorough consultation and joint planning with local partners and stakeholders is essential. This is not only because justice demands it but also because those of us whose lands, livelihoods, and cultures have been compromised hold the evolved knowledge of place— the stories and cultures—that we all need to survive and thrive.
We are a solutions campaign. We are aiming for 100% clean, renewable energy. Although this vision is bold, we’re already making significant progress. Renewable energy already has the support of a majority of Americans. Research shows that both belief in 100% renewable energy and support for the goal increase when individuals are exposed to clean energy successes. We can bring about sweeping change by increasing the public’s confidence that the transition is both possible and relevant to their lives. Then we can move them to action. Having a bold vision demonstrates what we value, reinforces our brand, and invites everyone to join us.
We prioritize leadership from the local community. We respect the expertise and local knowledge of Chapters, Groups, volunteers, and partners. Each community’s campaign and clean energy solutions will be unique, and local communities should develop strategies informed by the local context. This campaign is grounded in community choice, and we support Sierra Club chapters and groups taking the lead. We support long-term capacity building of both Sierra Club groups and front-line partners, and strive to share power across organizations and create agreements for transparency and accountability.
We recognize and acknowledge historical inequality in the work of Sierra Club, and work toward equity. Sierra Club has come a long way in its history of change. Acknowledge our history— that which is beautiful and that which is challenging. Seek to understand the history of inequality in our work and in the communities we have worked in, and create plans that work toward equity and the resourcing of communities. Hold equity as a principle over fairness.
How we get there is as important as getting there.
What we will do for you. Joining RF100 gives you access to expert support on strategy and tactics through an initial planning and coaching call; virtual orientation and skills trainings; in-person skills training with scholarships available; digital resources; tactics and toolboxes; digital branding files; swag (as requested); the campaign network, which includes the listserv; monthly campaign call and national teams; strategy, organizing, digital, and communications support as requested; and, of course, national amplification of your milestones and victories.
What you agree to do. Sign on to these principles; share contact information for your leadership team, including those responsible for communications, digital/email, and organizing; use the #readyfor100 hashtag and brand; provide updates through our monthly all-team calls and by sharing successes through the listserv; share photos using the hashtag; and help amplify other RF100 victories through your networks.
We rely on and support one another. We all commit to a culture of learning. In building national networks for local leaders who work with and support each other, the role of the national team is to support communication and coordination of the network. We do not rely on a central body for resources, but on the collective action of the network. Please be responsive to requests and questions from others, share successes and stories, join coordination calls, and serve in a role on a national team so that we share knowledge and experience.
Compliance. RF100 is a c3-funded Sierra Club program to engage in public education and administrative advocacy to build support for a transition to 100% clean energy. While legislative advocacy may also be needed to get certain localities to commit to 100% clean energy, a separate and parallel c4 program called Ready for 100 Action is responsible for all legislative lobbying. Administrative advocacy may include asking for commitments from mayors, sustainability directors, university presidents, and business owners, but not from legislative (law-making) groups (e.g. city councils, aldermen, or selectmen). and attend a training within the first month of signing this agreement and reach out with compliance questions before making assumptions. (RF100 Compliance Guidance)
Branding. Adhere to style guide (logos and communications materials). Make the brand and logo yours! Make it local. For our national public will–building campaign, the sum is greater than the parts.
Communication. When communicating on behalf of the campaign directly or indirectly (by wearing RF100 logo, holding a sign, etc.), use your local group name and title. In public communications about the campaign, we will follow the principles and guidance from the national communications lead, but use the local messaging, stories, and values that reflect your local campaign. (Ready for 100 message box)
Sierra Club membership. Each team must have at least one active member of the Sierra Club in order to access tools and resources such as AddUp, HELEN databases, and Clubhouse. RF100 teams must follow Sierra Club policies and bylaws. (Sierra Club Policy)
Sign on to these Principles by completing the form here.
REFERENCES
Many of these principles were inspired by or borrowed from the following documents:
Climate Justice Project’s Our Power Campaign Vision and Principles
Defining Distributed and Decentralized Organizing for the Sierra Club - working memo
Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing
Sierra Club Organizing Department Vision, Values and Definitions
Sierra Student Coalition’s Seize the Grid Guiding Principles
Sierra Club Partnership Principles
Updated 12/15/2017