Shoreline Hiring Community Climate Advisors

Press release from the City of Shoreline:

May 25, 2021

The City is working to fight climate change and we need your help! We are updating our 2013 Climate Action Plan (CAP) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a healthier and more equitable community. We are looking to hire 6-10 Community Climate Advisors to guide the update process and ensure that solutions to climate change benefit everyone in our community.

We are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, including poor air quality from increased wildfire smoke, hotter summer days, and increased flooding. We will continue to face these and other negative impacts unless we take action over the next ten years to drastically reduce greenhouse gasses emissions – specifically, those emissions from activities like driving cars, flying planes, and heating and cooling buildings.

Climate change impacts certain communities in a disproportionate manner, and lower-income residents, communities of color, and differently abled populations often have less capacity to respond and adapt to changing conditions. Their voices are often the least heard even though they may be the most valuable ones to add because they are the most vulnerable to climate impacts.

We are looking for Community Climate Advisors to ensure the democratic engagement of all community members in updating our CAP. Advisors should work or live in Shoreline; represent diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives; and have connections to local organizations and/or resident or business groups. Advisors will form a limited term (approximately one year) Community Climate Action Workgroup to guide development of an updated CAP. Specifically, Community Climate Advisors will:

• Provide guidance on what our community engagement process includes to ensure it offers equitable and culturally appropriate opportunities for impacted communities to provide input on the CAP.
• Review and provide feedback on community engagement methods and materials.
• Provide guidance on both content for the CAP and how we evaluate and prioritize potential climate action strategies to ensure impacted communities are prioritized.
• Promote participation in the CAP update by attending community workshops and encouraging others to attend workshops/complete surveys.

Advisors will be compensated $50/hour for their time participating in the Community Climate Action Workgroup and must complete a W-9 to receive payment. To learn more and apply, visit shorelinewa.gov/climate. Applications are due by Friday, June 18.

This press release was produced by the City of Shoreline. The views expressed here are the author’s own.