Shared by Jessie Buendia
Dream.Org
16 w
•
🌍 Embark on a Green Journey with the Dream. Org Climate Tech Career Pathways Scholarship! 💼 A more sustainable and equitable future begins with YOU! Climate change demands local solutions, and we believe everyone should have a seat at the table. Today, we're launching the Climate Tech Career Pathways Scholarship Fund, an opportunity to fuel your green dreams and make a positive impact on our planet. 🌟 Why Apply? - $3,500 Scholarship: Transform your passion into action with financial support for technical training, coursework, and professional certifications in climate and sustainability. - Diverse Career Paths: Explore opportunities in energy, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure, ensuring a broad range of career options! - Inclusive Focus: We strongly encourage BIPOC and system-impacted individuals to apply. Your unique perspective is essential in shaping a more inclusive green economy. 📆 Application Deadline: March 8th, 2024 ✨ Success Stories: "I was hesitant at first, but Dream. Org gave me the chance to learn about climate tech and sustainability. Now, I'm aligned with my values and working towards a greener future!" - Stephen Boardley, Climate Tech Scholarship Recipient Thanks to our incredible partners like Indeed we've already empowered over 600 individuals, with more than half being justice-impacted. By tapping into Black and Brown genius, we're creating generational wealth and building a diverse community dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and driving sustainable innovation. Don't miss your chance to be part of a movement that transforms passion into purpose. Apply for the Dream. Org Climate Tech Career Pathways Scholarship and be the change our world needs! Or hit the share button to help us spread the word! https://dream.org/tech-scholarship-fund/?source=social-md&utm_source=medium&utm_medium=organic
Climate Tech Career Pathways Scholarship Fund | Dream.org
Kickstart your dream job shaping the future and sustaining our planet! Apply for a chance to win up to $3,500.
https://dream.org/tech-scholarship-fund/?source=social-md&utm_source=medium&utm_medium=organic
Jessie Buendia
20 w
•
5 key takeaways from COP28 as a lifelong advocate for climate equity Attending COP28 as an official observer was a lifelong dream of mine. For the last two decades, I have worked on climate and environmental protection at the local and state levels as an advocate and an administrator, helping start community benefit and environmental justice programs at the local level and designing climate equity programs and initiatives at the state level. Now as the Vice President of Sustainability at Dream. Org, I brought a unique perspective to COP28 as my team works to maximize climate investments for disadvantaged communities here in the United States while equitably reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. 1) Building an equitable green economy requires a global perspective. The climate crisis isn’t partial to location. Its impacts are widespread and so are its solutions. At COP28, Dream. Org participated in conversations with business executives, government officials, and movement leaders. While everyone brought different perspectives and motivations for attending, the single unifying theme across all of the conversations I had was that we cannot solve the problem in isolation. It’s actually quite the opposite. Climate change requires that we leverage all of our collective efforts at a speed and pace never seen before in history. I had an opportunity to speak on a panel hosted by the Atlantic Council with leaders from the UK, South Africa, and the US about just transition. We all were in agreement that the solutions need to be tailored to the community’s unique needs, that multi-sectoral partnerships are imperative, and that people across the globe have a lot to learn from one another. On a different day, we hosted a world music event with the HBCU Green Fund, Harambee House, and A Sustainable Future for Africa & the Diaspora focused on building cross-continental relationships through culture, food, and music that can nourish our souls. People-centered relationship building is at the heart of this work. 2) A solutions-oriented, common ground mindset is the only way we’ll make progress fast enough to address the global problem. We attended a Bloomberg Green Conference which convened leaders in business, finance, policy, academia, and NGOs for candid conversations focused on creating solutions to support the goals set forth at COP28. It focused on pragmatic strategies for integrated climate action and methods to accelerate climate plans and measure progress. Whether it was covering the green economy, cleaner tech, greener living, or social change, the one unifying theme is that now is the time to lean into developing cross-sector partnerships and building bridges with unlikely allies. It also means reporting on those stories and solutions, not just relying on news stories focused on conflict and distrust. At Dream. Org, we uplift stories of Black and Brown entrepreneurs bringing solutions to the communities most impacted by poverty and pollution and help equip rising Black and Brown professional talent to break into the green economy. We also work with local governments and frontline communities in purple, red, and blue states who are forming new partnerships to draw down federal funding for climate infrastructure while uplifting community voices to make the best decisions for themselves and their communities. 3) Acknowledging failures without promoting blame culture. In my week at COP28, I got to go into the Blue Zone and see the U.S. Envoy John Kerry speak about new technology, the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer Andrew Mayock discuss the investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, and the U.S. Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi announce globally the U.S.’s historic methane ruling. I realized that we had so much to be proud of this year on a global scale. You root for your team in the way you do during the World Cup, wanting them to be the best and show the global community who the U.S. can be. But sometimes we are not the best, or we send mixed messages when people confront us. Instead of showing vulnerability or accepting failures, we often choose to find a scapegoat to blame instead of reaching across the aisle to bridge divides. While taking sides might be a good way to dodge hard questions, shifting blame to conservative America actually makes us look weaker on the global stage while alienating the 50% of Americans who still need to be convinced that climate policies and initiatives can benefit them. We can and deserve better. 4) Movement building continues to play an important role in making change happen. From my conversations during breakfast with veterans of the early COPs and talking to organizations like Climate Justice Alliance and Indigenous Environmental Network, people discussed how distinctly corporate the event felt. So much so that COP28 was the largest climate conference in history with 80,000 attendees and 4,000 journalists, along with thousands of world leaders, billionaires, and celebrities. There are trade show elements that feel like you are at a car show, which at times could distract from focusing on movement building. But, in the short time that I was there, I saw how people took advantage of moments like the President’s announcement on the scientific merits of phasing down fossil fuels to demand more from their negotiators. They used inside/outside strategies and succeeded in getting the head of an oil company from an oil-rich country to announce that the international community would be transitioning away from fossil fuels. Movement building and advocacy from all sectors and parts of the world is either working, or we are all trapped in an Orwellian novel. I’m an optimist so I choose to believe it’s working. 5) Everybody has a role to play in building an inclusive, green economy. It was interesting to be at a global conference where people were very aware of the Inflation Reduction Act, while only 3 out of 10 Americans know about it back home. Of course, this is self-selection since we were at a climate conference, but it led me to think that all of these attendees of the conference were there because they were passionate about the issue and invested – whether principally because of the impact of climate change in their communities or monetarily because they wanted to make money (or not lose money) in this new green transition. It made me think, how do we get people back home invested too? Here are a few immediate actions that you can take: > If you are an entrepreneur or job seeker, learn about our Dream Entrepreneurs Network and sign up for scholarship opportunities. > If you are a community-based organization interested in drawing down federal climate funds, join our Green Spotlight newsletter to get the latest updates on funding opportunities. > Learn how to take advantage of federal tax incentives for your household before the end of the year here! > With $369 billion on the line, we need to ensure climate aid gets to communities that need it most. Add your voice here & get involved with our federal advocacy work.
•
•
20 w
The author's takeaways from COP28 highlight the importance of a global perspective in building an equitable green economy. The need for cross-sector partnerships, a solutions-oriented mindset, and acknowledging failures without a blame culture are emphasized. The role of movement building and advocacy is recognized, showcasing the power of collective efforts in making change happen. The article also underscores the significance of inclusivity in the transition to a green economy and calls for increased awareness and engagement at the local level. Overall, the observations emphasize the interconnectedness of climate action on a global scale and the diverse roles individuals and organizations can play in driving positive change.
•
•
20 w
I'm sure you found the experience to be eye opening to lots of issues facing our planet and people vulnerable due to climate change effects
•
•
•
20 w
Great article and am glad to read your 5 take ways points and number 5 is very important and key to many to take the actions toward green transition.
Jessie Buendia
29 w
•
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) begins reviewing grant applications for the most innovative climate investment in U.S. history. Applicants are competing for $14 billion of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to create a national green bank network. This first-of-its-kind investment will build a more inclusive and equitable green transition for everyone. While at face value this might sound like just another federal grant program, it’s much more than that; the GGRF is a vehicle for progress that will expand the lifeline of every public dollar invested by at least 12 times over the next 10 years – without placing the burden on taxpayers. Dream. Org is excited to formally be a part of this historic moment by partnering with the Coalition for Green Capital on their grant application to create a national green bank that prioritizes equity and robust community engagement practices. This program will be critical in the fight against climate change while paving the way for an inclusive green economy that provides work and wealth opportunities for communities of color. As a lifelong environmentalist and passionate climate justice activist, here are three reasons why I’m championing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (and why you should too): 1) Addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change is expensive. Last year alone, the cost of climate-related disasters exceeded $165 billion, and these impacts are most deeply felt by low-income communities and communities of color. Even though $369 billion is a huge historic investment, we need to strengthen the green economy by maximizing every dollar to tackle equitable climate goals. That’s where the GGRF comes in. We can’t equitably move forward with a transition towards a new economy if we fail to address the historical burdens of redlining that have hurt low-income, rural, and marginalized communities the most. The systemic denial of financial services based on race and ethnicity, left communities of color out of work and opportunities to build wealth, but it also geographically placed them in regions that are now most vulnerable to a changing climate. Addressing mistakes made in the past, while uplifting regions and communities that have been historically left out, is a challenging and expensive problem to solve. The GGRF gives us the opportunity to reduce costs and address these disproportionate impacts by directing $18.6 billion of the total $27 billion towards low-income and underserved communities. 2) We have the solutions, but we need the incentive to move everyone toward a new market. Cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels exist, like solar panels, electric vehicles, and green building practices, but deploying these solutions everywhere isn’t cheap. Changing the way we produce and consume energy comes with higher upfront costs that often steer private industry away from adoption. The GGRF attracts private co-investment to steer the market toward a cleaner economy, reduces perceived financial risks, and responsibly capitalizes on government funding. By building public-private partnerships that serve communities across the US, the GGRF’s green lending programs will leverage $20 billion of federal funding into more than $250 billion over the next decade while prioritizing investments towards communities – both rural and urban – that have been left behind. This is a financially smart way to tackle climate change while creating jobs, reducing energy costs, and improving public health. 3) Everyone stands to benefit from these investments. The GGRF is projected to reduce 850 metric megatons of greenhouse gas emissions and create one million direct jobs over the decade. The best part? 38% of these jobs will emerge in neglected and marginalized areas that have been impacted by poverty and pollution. This is a necessary step toward environmental and economic equity that disadvantaged communities desperately need. Even though a portion of these funds are targeted to specific communities, everyone will benefit from a cleaner environment, more green jobs, and improved public health. Whether you live in a rural or urban environment, billions of dollars in smart green investment hold promise for building the health and economic prosperity that our communities deserve. Maximizing Our Impact Starts and Ends With Us The Green For All team at Dream .Org is working to transform communities that have historically been left behind into centers of economic prosperity. Our goal is to help build a thriving green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty and ensure that the benefits of climate investments are evenly distributed. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provides a unique opportunity to do just that. The Inflation Reduction Act is a critical piece of climate legislation that provides us with the initial funding we need to jumpstart clean change at scale, but the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provides us with a safety net to ensure our public dollars are spent wisely. IRA is important, and by design, the GGRF is a critical component of its success. This fund expands the lifeline of IRA capital so that we can address the impacts of choices made in the past, incentivize partnerships across industries, and hold everyone accountable to an equitable transition. We look forward to the EPA's continued commitment to climate equity as they begin their decision-making process.
31 more agrees trigger social media ads
•
•
29 w
Dear Jessie Buendia Your climate love has received over 50 agrees! We have reached out to US EPA by email and requested a response. I will keep you updated on any progress! To reach more people and increase the chance of a response, click the Share button above to share the review on your social accounts. For every new member that joins We Don't Have Time from your network, we will plant a tree and attribute it to you! /Adam, We Don't Have Time
•
•
29 w
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is a smart climate investment because it promotes innovation, addresses environmental concerns, and promotes inclusivity and equity in the transition to a green economy.
•
•
29 w
Investing such funds is very important in that it'll help a smooth transition into usage of energy
Jessie Buendia
29 w
•
3 Reasons Why the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Is The Smartest Climate Investment of the Inflation Reduction Act Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will receive numerous applications from broad coalitions that are competing for funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The $27 billion GGRF is the largest single pool of funding of the $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act and a first-of-its-kind investment that will build a more inclusive and equitable green transition for everyone. While at face value this might sound like just another federal grant program, it’s much more than that; the GGRF is a vehicle for progress that will expand the lifeline of every public dollar invested by at least 12 times over the next 10 years – without placing the burden on taxpayers. Dream. Org is excited to formally be a part of this historic moment by partnering with the Coalition for Green Capital on their grant application to create a national green bank that prioritizes equity and robust community engagement practices. This program will be critical in the fight against climate change while paving the way for an inclusive green economy that provides work and wealth opportunities for communities of color. As a lifelong environmentalist and passionate climate justice activist, here are three reasons why I’m championing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (and why you should too): 1) Addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change is expensive. Last year alone, the cost of climate-related disasters exceeded $165 billion, and these impacts are most deeply felt by low-income communities and communities of color. Even though $369 billion is a huge historic investment, we need to strengthen the green economy by maximizing every dollar to tackle equitable climate goals. That’s where the GGRF comes in. We can’t equitably move forward with a transition towards a new economy if we fail to address the historical burdens of redlining that have hurt low-income, rural, and marginalized communities the most. The systemic denial of financial services based on race and ethnicity, left communities of color out of work and opportunities to build wealth, but it also geographically placed them in regions that are now most vulnerable to a changing climate. Addressing mistakes made in the past, while uplifting regions and communities that have been historically left out, is a challenging and expensive problem to solve. The GGRF gives us the opportunity to reduce costs and address these disproportionate impacts by directing $18.6 billion of the total $27 billion towards low-income and underserved communities. 2) We have the solutions, but we need the incentive to move everyone toward a new market. Cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels exist, like solar panels, electric vehicles, and green building practices, but deploying these solutions everywhere isn’t cheap. Changing the way we produce and consume energy comes with higher upfront costs that often steer private industry away from adoption. The GGRF attracts private co-investment to steer the market toward a cleaner economy, reduces perceived financial risks, and responsibly capitalizes on government funding. By building public-private partnerships that serve communities across the US, the GGRF’s green lending programs will leverage $20 billion of federal funding into more than $250 billion over the next decade while prioritizing investments towards communities – both rural and urban – that have been left behind. This is a financially smart way to tackle climate change while creating jobs, reducing energy costs, and improving public health. 3) Everyone stands to benefit from these investments. The GGRF is projected to reduce 850 metric megatons of greenhouse gas emissions and create one million direct jobs over the decade. The best part? 38% of these jobs will emerge in neglected and marginalized areas that have been impacted by poverty and pollution. This is a necessary step toward environmental and economic equity that disadvantaged communities desperately need. Even though a portion of these funds are targeted to specific communities, everyone will benefit from a cleaner environment, more green jobs, and improved public health. Whether you live in a rural or urban environment, billions of dollars in smart green investment hold promise for building the health and economic prosperity that our communities deserve. Maximizing Our Impact Starts and Ends With Us The Green For All team at Dream .Org is working to transform communities that have historically been left behind into centers of economic prosperity. Our goal is to help build a thriving green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty and ensure that the benefits of climate investments are evenly distributed. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provides a unique opportunity to do just that. The Inflation Reduction Act is a critical piece of climate legislation that provides us with the initial funding we need to jumpstart clean change at scale, but the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provides us with a safety net to ensure our public dollars are spent wisely. IRA is important, and by design, the GGRF is a critical component of its success. This fund expands the lifeline of IRA capital so that we can address the impacts of choices made in the past, incentivize partnerships across industries, and hold everyone accountable to an equitable transition – so our future is greener than ever before. Dream.Org's Climate Investments team hosted a reception and panel in September to convene leaders from federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other leaders in climate finance.
•
•
29 w
The effect of this on the greenhouse gases will be huge not to mention other benefits ie jobs
•
29 w
The creation of jobs while transitioning is critical.
•
•
29 w
Supporting the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is not just smart; it's a vital climate investment with far-reaching benefits
Write or agree to climate reviews to make businesses and world leaders act. It’s easy and it works.
Certified accounts actively looking for your opinion on their climate impact.
One tree is planted for every climate review written to an organization that is Open for Climate Dialogue™.
•
•
15 w
Such climate career scholarships should be emulated globally.
•
•
16 w
This is a great opportunity to kickstart one's green career!
•
•
16 w
Such a platform is of great importance towards climate career