CO-OPS &
CLIMATE CHANGE
CW 2024
Esther West, The Ajani Group &
Shared Capital Cooperative,
Former Professor at San Francisco State University’s Environmental Studies Program
Gary Hampton, The Ajani Group
Thank you to these climate action plan workshop sponsors & collaborator!
Ajani Worker-Owners:
What would you like to get out of today’s workshop?
Agenda
Download Climate Action Plans in English and Spanish at: https://ajani.coop/home/climate-action-plans/
Rootedness
in where you’re coming from
in your feelings & body’s response to climate change
What’s a word or phrase that describes your feelings about climate change?
Climate Change & Mental Health connections are very real and impacting many, especially younger people. This is related to its impact on physical health & safety. Situating our mental health within systemic social change is a form of decolonization how we understand our feelings.
How has climate change already impacted you, your co-op & your community?
Rootedness
Have you already done work with co-ops on climate change and/or climate justice?
What’s this looked like?
Overview: Create a co-op climate action plan
Climate Action Plan:
Planning for climate impacts + mitigating climate change itself.
�Anyone can create a plan!
Make it participatory.
Make it matter for your community.
Worker-owners at MadWorC’s Regional Rendezvous 2023.
Overview: Create a co-op climate action plan
Download at: https://ajani.coop/home/climate-action-plans/
Rootedness
in our broader context
in climate change education
in climate justice
Key Concepts
Energy access
Has your co-op already done work towards mitigation or adaptation?
→ Define your goal: What would you prefer to focus on?
Co-ops
& Communities (P7)
what can we do together for climate change justice?
Context
Discussion Questions
Resources (P5)
Co-ops
particularly vulnerable to
climate change impacts
P7: tool for “community preparedness.”
People are part of the Environment
Source: https://www.migrantclinician.org/blog/2023/jun/why-respiratory-risks-smoke-hit-low-income-workers-hardest.html
People are part of the Environment
Does thinking of ourselves as part of the environment shift your perspective on climate justice? Why or why not?
Equity in accessing support
→ Does your cooperative have relevant equity experiences?
Yes
No
Maybe
Heat
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Redlining
Tree Equity Score: What’s your community’s score?
Oakland, California
Tree Cover
Redlining
Assess
so you can prepare wisely.
ASPROCAFE Ingruma members participate in the farmer field day workshops in the community of Travesias
(Source: Equal Exchange).
Risks & Opportunities
What are the risks & opportunities for your co-op?
1) https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/
3) https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map
4) Search for and review local / relevant climate action plans.
Worker-owners gather in Oakland, CA.
Opportunities
What are some strengths your co-op has that it can bring to this work?
What are our collective co-op powers?
Responses:
Responses:
P6: Build a Climate Justice Supply Chain
City Terrace Housing co-op residents in Los Angeles, CA.
P6 & P5: Network Building
Worker-owners of Equal Exchange in Portland, OR.
P6: Connect
Co-op Ed Center presenting at MadWorC’s Regional Rendezvous 2023.
Risks & Opportunities
What are the risks & opportunities for your co-op?
Do any of these findings resonate?
Is anything missing?
What stands out to you?
�What feels exciting?
What feels both exciting and actionable?
Sustainergy discusses their solar work at Co-op Cincy’s event in 2023.
Decide on your Goal
Plan
Focus
Where does this work live in your co-op?
Shared Capital Cooperative, Flora Co-op and Shaky Hands Co-op gather in Milwaukee, WI.
Track,
Promote,
Appreciate
Case Studies
Cooperators and Concern for Communities:
Food Access and Climate
Twin Cities
Urban Farm and
Garden Alliance
Local Food Systems & Climate Solutions
https://urbanfarmandgardenalliance.org/
Urban Farm and
Garden Alliance
Mini-Forest Project
Mini-Forests a solution to addressing Urban Heat Islands
To learn more about the
Mini-Forest Revolution visit
https://www.hannahlewis.org/
Project Sweetie Pie
Local Food Systems & Climate Solutions
https://www.projectsweetiepie.org/
Project Sweetie Pie
Local Food Systems & Climate Solutions
North Minneapolis is going green. Give us a call and learn what we mean. Where once lay urban blight. Now sits luscious garden sites. Gardens without borders, Classrooms without walls. Architects of our own destinies. Access to food justice for all.”
- Michael Chaney
Youth and community collaborative focused with an intergenerational approach.
Ajani member staking up tomatoes
Climate, Education, Food and Energy Advocacy and Initiatives that are cooperatively spirited.
Land Access
Working across community based organizations and land access emerging organizations to connect communities and people with a relationship with the land through capital access and systems to help create some permanency and sustainable solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Emerging work in equitable energy efficiency for all residents of Minnesota with a cooperative and collaborative group of organizations with a focus on shifting policy and power into the hands of customers and citizens through inclusivity, accessibility to programs with intentionality.
We still have a lot of work to do, but…
www.ajani.coop�
hello@ajani.coop
Thank you!
www.ajani.coop
hello@ajani.coop
Examples: Co-op Climate Action Plans
Example: Co-op Climate Action Plan
Topic:
How can you address this topic? (brainstorm):
Goal:
How you’ll meet your goals (objectives):
Metrics:
What will you need to meet these goals?(brainstorm) �
When you’ll meet your goals:
Who will be point person / responsible entity?:
Partners:
Mitigate our co-op’s GHG’s
April 2024
�Maintenance Director; Exec Director��Local Environmental & Sustainability Office; local environmental organizations
“Green” our building
Have panels installed by April 2024.
Everyone on staff understands the basics of how they function.