North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition (NCCS) is an advocacy organization that promotes climate change activism across North Carolina. It supports policies including transitioning to weather-dependent energy sources such as solar and wind and promoting energy efficiency measures such as North Carolina’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard. 1
Additionally, it focuses on enhancing climate resilience by backing projects to improve coastal protection and flood management, as well as by developing urban infrastructure to address heat island effects. The coalition also prioritizes the left-of-center principle of equity by promoting policies to ensure minorities benefit from climate policies, such as through job training programs in weather-dependent energy and through measures to address alleged environmental injustices. It also runs educational campaigns and community workshops to raise awareness about climate issues and encourage individual actions to reduce carbon footprints. 2
Founding and Advocacy
The North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition was founded in 2018 to support legislative initiatives and public campaigns designed to advance climate action at the state level. Anita Cunningham has worked as the director for two organizations focused on community resilience to alleged climate disasters since 2020: the North Carolina Disaster Response and Resilience Network and the North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition. 3 Cunningham was the former program director for the Robeson County Cooperative for Sustainable Development and, as of August 2024, is the current project manager for the NC Disaster Survival and Resiliency School. 4 Cunningham is a member of the Southern Forest Conservation Coalition, Eastern NC Cleaner and Greener Coalition, and the Impacted Communities Against Wood Pellets Coalition, which advocates for people’s power, forest conservation and protection, and environmental justice. 5
On May 23, 2024, President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Cunningham to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). The WHEJAC, the first presidential advisory body dedicated to providing recommendations on environmental justice, is tasked with advising the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. 6
On August 10, 2022, a wood pellet plant that was about to begin operations in Robeson County, North Carolina, was shut down by local activism led by NCCSC’s Anita Cunningham. Cunningham claimed that “the air is polluted by the process of grinding the wood” and “steam-pressing it into wood pellets.” Cunningham also stated that “particles that are emitted can lead to respiratory issues for those living in the area” and that “people living nearby are often kept awake at night by loud noises coming from the facilities at random.” 7
Financials
In 2022, North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition reported revenue of $66,792, expenses of $62,246, and a net loss of $4,546, according to tax filings. 8
References
- “North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition.” Accessed August 16, 2024. https://ncclimatesolutions.org/.
- “North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition.” Accessed August 16, 2024. https://ncclimatesolutions.org/.
- “Biden Names Key Appointments to Environmental Justice Advisory Council.” Mirainews, May 24, 2024. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.miragenews.com/biden-names-key-appointments-to-environmental-1241918/#google_vignette.
- “Board of Directors.” North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://ncclimatesolutions.org/board/.
- “Meet the Team.” North Carolina Survival School. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://ncsurvivalschool.org/team/.
- “President Biden Announces Key Appointments to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.” White House, May 23, 2024. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/05/23/president-biden-announces-key-appointments-to-the-white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council/.
- “NC’s Wood Pellet Industry: Anything but a Climate Solution.” Sierra Club, August 29, 2022. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://www.sierraclub.org/north-carolina/blog/2022/08/ncs-wood-pellet-industry-anything-climate-solution.
- “North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition.” ProPublica. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/815372697.