Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) is a left-of-center environmental activist group made up of associated organizations from around the world. The organization was launched as a project of Movement Strategy Center, a left-wing nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California with a history of working with organizations that identify themselves as advocates for socialist policies. According to IRS public records, the organization obtained its own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in September 2020, and became a separate entity from the Movement Strategy Center. ¹

Climate Justice Alliance has opposed the use of zero carbon nuclear energy and supported the Green New Deal, a radical environmentalist proposal to reorder the U.S. economy estimated to cost $90 trillion over a ten-year federal budget period. ² The group is made up of state-level organizations, national advocacy organizations, and international environmentalist organizations. ^{3 4}

Green New Deal

For more information, see Green New Deal (Movement)

Climate Justice Alliance aims to translate the national Green New Deal platform into local legislation through the organization’s state- and local-level affiliates. CJA claims to have “made local versions of the Green New Deal a reality from New York City to Oregon.” The Green New Deal Coalition boasts a long list of left-leaning and liberal organizations in support such as Sierra Club, one of the largest environmentalist organizations in the US; the Center for Popular Democracy, a left-wing agitation and policy advocacy organization; and multiple labor unions including the SEIU and Association of flight Attendants-CWA. CJA, however, is not listed as an official member of the Coalition. ^{5 6}

Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (HR 4447)

In September 2020, Climate Justice Alliance was one of 100 environmentalist organizations that opposed the Democratic-led Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (HR 4447) because while it pushed environmental regulations, it did not directly restrict fossil fuel production. ⁷ The organizations sent a letter to Congress that accused legislators of sacrificing communities to climate change, and said that the bill offered false solutions to the “climate crises across [the] country and world.” ⁸

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

In May of 2021, Climate Justice Alliance was one of 715 groups and businesses listed as a co-signer on a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate that referred to nuclear energy as a “dirty” form of energy production and a “significant” source of pollution. The letter asked federal lawmakers to reduce carbon emissions by creating a “renewable electricity standard” that promoted production of weather dependent power sources such as wind turbines and solar panels, but did not promote low carbon natural gas and zero carbon nuclear energy. ⁹

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹⁰ An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. ¹¹

Affiliate Organizations

CJA lists a number of national organizations as “members” of the alliance. These organizations include large, left-of-center and liberal organizations such as the NAACP Environmental and

Climate Justice Program, the environmentalist branch of the nation’s oldest civil rights organization; Movement Strategy Center, an Oakland based organization that associates with socialist and liberal organizations as a fiscal sponsor; Jobs With Justice, a national coalition of worker centers and left-wing advocacy groups; and the Ruckus Society, a far-left “direct action” organization that supports protests in the areas of environmentalism and liberal social issues. ¹²

Leadership

Executive Director

Angela Adrar is the executive director of CJA. She previously worked in leadership positions for multiple environmental advocacy organizations such as La Via Campesina North America (LVC-NA), US Food Sovereignty Alliance (USFSA), and the Building Equity and Alignment for Impact (BEA). ¹³

Key Staff

Karina Gonzalez is a “radical operations associate” for CJA. Gonzalez has worked for multiple left-leaning and environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, Black Mesa Water Coalition, SustainUS, and Friends of the Earth. ¹⁴

Heather Thiry is a special projects and logistics coordinator for CJA. She previously worked as an administrator at Building Equity and Alignment for Impact. ¹⁵

Guadlaupe “Lupe” Romero is a “just transition project steward” for CJA. Romero became involved in what CJA describes as “international solidarity movements, LGBTQ activism, immigrant rights struggles, and union organizing” during community college. Romero founded Printers United, a clothing brand dedicated to “revolutionary propaganda” and “social movement support.” ¹⁶

Denise Abdul-Rahman is a member of the steering committee for CJA. She also works as the environmental justice chair for the Indiana NAACP. Abdul-Rahman is an executive committee member for the Hoosier Chapter of Sierra Club, one of the largest environmentalist organizations in the country. She also served as a “Clean Air Ambassador” for Earthjustice, a large nonprofit public interest litigation group which focuses on environmental issues. ^{17 18}

Funding

Climate Justice Alliance is a funded project of Movement Strategy Center; as such, it does not file annual reports with the IRS and does not disclose individual grantors. Its parent nonprofit, Movement Strategy Center, operated on a budget of $16,597,263 in 2017, an unknown portion of which went to operating Climate Justice Alliance. ¹⁹ Donations to the Climate Justice Alliance are made to the Movement Strategy Center.

Libra Foundation, a left-leaning philanthropic organization, has given $400,000 to Climate Justice Alliance since 2014. ²⁰

Overbrook Foundation, a liberal private funding organization, gave $80,000 to Climate Justice Alliance in 2017 for the organization’s “Our Power Campaign.” Overbrook also gave Climate Justice Alliance $50,000 in 2016. ^{21 22}

1. “IRS.gov Applications.” Details about Climate justice alliance. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=853440899&name=Climate+Justice+Alliance&city=Berkeley&state=CA&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=CHARITIES%2C+DETERMINATIONLETTERS&orgTags=DETERMINATIONLETTERS.
2. Holtz-Eakin, Douglas, Dan Bosch, Ben Gitis, Dan Goldbeck, and Philip Rossetti. “The Green New Deal: Scope, Scale, and Implications.” American Action Forum. February 25, 2019. Accessed April 24, 2019. https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/the-green-new-deal-scope-scale-and-implications/.
3. “Our Members.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 22, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/members-of-the-alliance/.
4. “Funders and Donors.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/funders/
5. ”CJA and the Green New Deal.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 22, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/gnd/.
6. “Sponsor Organizations.” Green New Deal Coalition. Accessed June 22, 2019. https://www.greennewdealforall.org/supporting-groups.
7. “Over 100 Groups Oppose Democrats’ Energy Bill as Insufficient.” Friends of the Earth, September 23, 2020. https://foe.org/news/over-100-groups-oppose-democrats-energy-bill-as-insufficient/.
8. “Over 100 Groups Oppose Democrats’ Energy Bill as Insufficient.” Friends of the Earth, September 23, 2020. https://foe.org/news/over-100-groups-oppose-democrats-energy-bill-as-insufficient/.
9. Letter from Center for Biological Diversity et. al. to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Joe Manchin, and Rep. Frank Pallone. “RE: CONGRESS SHOULD ENACT A FEDERAL RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD AND REJECT GAS AND FALSE SOLUTIONS.” May 12, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/2021-5-12_600-Group-Letter-for-RES.pdf?_gl=1*1c9h3t8*_gcl_au*MTc3NjM3MTM1Mi4xNjg5OTU1MzAz
10. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
11. “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/
12. “Members of the Alliance.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 22, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/members-of-the-alliance/.
13. “Our People.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/our-team/.
14. “Our People.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/our-team/.
15. “Our People.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/our-team/.
16. “Our People.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/our-team/.
17. “Our People.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/our-team/.
18. “User Profile: Denise Abdul-Rahman.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniseabdulrahman/.
19. “Funders and Donors.” Climate Justice Alliance. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://climatejusticealliance.org/funders/
20. “Grants Database: Climate Justice Alliance.” Libra Foundation. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://www.thelibrafoundation.org/grantees/EJ/all-years/all-amounts/Climate+Justice+Alliance.
21. 2017 IRS 990-PF Return of Private Foundation: The Overbrook Foundation. Part XV, Line 3: Grants and Contributions Paid During the Year or Approved for Future Payment. Accessed June 24, 2019.
22. 2016 IRS 990-PF Return of Private Foundation: The Overbrook Foundation. Part XV, Line 3: Grants and Contributions Paid During the Year or Approved for Future Payment. Accessed June 24, 2019.