In this newsletter: Council at DNC Winter Meeting
DNC Leadership Elections | Council Listening Tour
2024: Council’s Biggest Year Ever | Council Officers Speak Out
Chair on the Road | Geoengineering Report
Montana Youth Climate Win
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Hello Climate Activist,
Happy New Year. I hope you and your loved ones had a happy and joyous holiday season.
Like many of you, I spent the holiday season reflecting on 2024 and thinking about the challenges ahead this year.
I – and the Council – enter 2025 more ready than ever to fight for all that we hold dear. And to re-double our efforts to protect the environmental advances we have made. Because we know that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies don’t want to just roll back the progress of the last four years: They will fight to roll back the progress of the last four decades. We will not sit idly by while Trump and Congressional Republicans work to make the air we breathe and water we drink unsafe, to repeal landmark legislation that made historic investments to fight the climate crisis, and to give tax breaks to greedy corporations that pollute and destroy our planet.
It is time for all of us to get back into the fight. And many of us already are, in places like Virginia, where hard work by the campaigns, state party and grassroots organizers mean the House and Senate will stay Democratic.
So much is at stake. For our families. For our communities. For our environment. And for our democracy. We must fight back. And that is exactly what your Climate Council is doing. We are fighting. We are organizing. And we will take the lessons from last year’s election and Trump’s first term to make us more effective, more powerful, and more impactful.
And most importantly, we will lay the groundwork to win again in 2026 and 2028.
Last year was the most active in the Council’s history. We had more events, organized more people, and turned out more voters than we ever have before (more on that in the sections below). I am incredibly proud of the work of the Council and all our partners and allies. But I also know that we must re-double our efforts this year. And we will.
With so much at stake, I am more committed than ever. And I hope all of you are too. Because it will take all of us to fight back and win.
Best,
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Michelle Deatrick
Chair, DNC Environment and Climate Crisis Council
P.S. As many of you know, I am running for Vice Chair of the DNC. I am doing this because at this critical time for our party, and our nation, we need leaders at the DNC who have walked the walk and are clear-eyed about the path back to victory. And I believe our Council and our work here together is an example of that. More information at my website.
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📆 JOIN US: DNC CLIMATE COUNCIL MEETING
January 30 or January 31. National Harbor, Maryland.
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The Council is excited that Danielle Deiseroth, Data for Progress Executive Director, is speaking at our meeting at the DNC Winter convening. Danielle is an incredible speaker and thinker. The November election was a clarion call regarding youth and other environmental voters, and Danielle will address the crucial, intersectional issues of youth and environmental voter turnout, persuasion, and partisanship. In addition, Council Chair Deatrick will share Council plans for 2025. All Democrats are welcome to attend; we will share registration information and the date and time when received from the DNC.
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👀 WATCH: DNC Leadership Forums & Elections
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In early February, the DNC will vote on new leadership for Chair, Vice Chair of Civic Engagement & Voter Participation, Secretary, Treasurer, National Finance Chair and Vice Chairs at-large (3). These are four-year terms.
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DNC Leadership Forums – January 11, 16, 23 & 30
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In preparation for the leadership elections, candidate forums focused on each of the nation’s four regions will be held. On January 11, a forum for the DNC’s Southern Regional States will be held online. On January 16, an in-person forum in Detroit will focus on the DNC's Midwestern Regional States. On January 23, a forum for the DNC’s Western Regional States will be held online. And on January 30, an in-person forum will be held in Washington, DC for the DNC’s Eastern Regional States. The online forums will be shown on the DNC’s YouTube site.
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DNC Leadership Elections – February 1
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On February 1st in National Harbor, Maryland, the 448 members of the DNC will vote on new leadership. Proposed Rules for the election are here (the full DNC needs to approve them on February 1). Candidates who have qualified to date are here.
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👂 STAY TUNED: DNC Climate Council 2025 Listening Tour
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The Council is excited to be launching our 2025 Listening Tour in May 2025. This tour will build on our 2017 Listening Tour, which informed our work on the Democratic Platform, and our 2021-2 Listening Tour, which informed our work building out DEN, the Democratic Environment Network of state environmental caucuses and councils. We will also be sharing a questionnaire/survey for those who cannot make it to our in-person meetings.
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💪 2024 In REVIEW: The Council’s Biggest-Ever Year of Organizing & Mobilization
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✅ First-ever in-person Meetings at the Democratic Convention! The Council hosted over 1,000 people in person and 10,000+ virtually for our Chicago Democratic Convention meetings, with a packed program and an engaging set of speakers including AFT President Weingarten, MA Governor Healey, Senators Markey and Merkley, Representatives Jayapal, Casten, Castor, Frost, Khanna, Raskin, and Stansbury, former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and incredible leaders from the Environmental Justice and Climate communities including DNC Members Jane Kleeb and Christine Pelosi.
✅ The Council’s BIGGEST Earth Month Mobilization ever, with 70+ events organized by Democrats across the U.S. and Democrats Abroad
✅ Climate Is a Winning Issue Initiative: More than a dozen livestreams and in-person events, plus briefing memos and strong social media outreach.
✅ Council On the Road: The Council went to over a dozen states from Massachusetts to Arizona, New York, Texas and more in 2024. Council Chair Michelle Deatrick spoke at 50-plus events, and other Council and DEN leaders spoke at over a dozen more, in support of Democratic candidates and initiatives.
✅ Presidential Campaign: The Council provided the bedrock on which the campaign’s climate outreach and organizing was based, with our supporters, volunteers, and partner network. We co-organized a battleground state rally with Jane Fonda, and several livestreams, training hundreds of volunteers. We were lucky to work with terrific staffers Camila Thorndike and Jake Schwartz.
✅ Messaging and Media: The Council was active on seven social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky in support of the Democrats’ clean energy, environmental and conservation efforts. Chair Deatrick had several op-eds published in support of Democratic environmental achievement, and she led a campus Letters to the Editor effort on behalf of the presidential campaign.
More of our organizing this year.
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📰 COUNCIL OFFICERS SPEAK OUT: Secretary Stephens on Next Steps for the Democratic Party & Youth Director Presendieu on Environmental Leadership
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DNC Environment and Climate Crisis Council officers Paul Presendieu, Director of Youth Engagement, and Dr. Allison Stephens, Secretary and Director of Black Engagement, authored these articles that we are excited to share with you. Paul’s piece, Empowering Local Environmental Leadership, discusses the importance of local climate action. Dr. Stephens’ piece The Democratic Party Does it Again, provides an insider’s analysis of the presidential campaign and an in-depth framework for moving forward.
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📍CHAIR ON THE ROAD: YDA, ASDC, White House and Vice Presidential Events
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Young Democrats of America Winter Convention in Boston –
Chair Deatrick Speaks
At the Young Democrats of America (YDA) Winter Convention, DNC Climate Council Chair Michelle Deatrick spoke at the Welcome Reception, at the Disability Caucus meeting, and on a panel at a joint meeting of YDA’s Environment and Rural Caucuses. She is grateful to YDA President Quentin Wathum-Ocama, YDA DNC Representatives Stephanie Campanha Wheaton and Katherine Jeanes, Environmental Caucus Chair Paul Presendieu, Rural Caucus Chair PJ Errera, Disability Caucus Chair Leslie Templeton, and Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus Chair Jason Park for the invites and great events! Democrats need to invest in and support youth leaders.
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State Democratic Committees Winter Meeting in Phoenix –
Chair Deatrick Speaks
At the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) Winter Meeting, DNC Climate Crisis Council Chair Michelle Deatrick spoke at the General Session. Her remarks stressed the important role of state parties in organizing and winning up and down the ballot.
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Chair Deatrick Attends White House and Vice Presidential Holiday Events
Chair Deatrick was honored to celebrate the holidays at the White House and at the Vice President’s Residence with Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff.
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📊 IMPORTANT READ: Report on Geoengineering Risks
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The Council is tracking geoengineering – aka climate engineering – research and planning. Intentional alternations of Earth’s climate and environmental systems to fight climate change can pose serious risks that must be assessed. The Center for International Environmental Law’s Risks of Geoengineering explores the serious biodiversity harms of some of the most commonly discussed geoengineering approaches and how, rather than tackling the climate crisis, geoengineering could actually make it worse. This publication also highlights the human rights consequences of going down this path, debunks some common myths around geoengineering, and sets out a series of recommendations for States. Read it here.
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🎉 CLIMATE WIN: Inflation Reduction Act Tops $1 Billion for Farms and Rural Small Businesses
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⚖️ CONGRATULATIONS: Youth Plaintiffs Win Montana Climate Case
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Montana’s Supreme Court ruled that the permitting of oil, gas, and coal projects without considering climate change violates residents’ right to a clean environment. This Council and our Chair have stood with Our Children’s Trust – the advocacy group involved with this case. Congratulations and gratitude to the youth plaintiffs!
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💙 ON TO 2025: Looking Forward to Working with You!
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Help grow our community and our impact in 2025. Invite a friend to join the DNC Climate Council with this link to sign up or ask them to text CLIMATE to (833) 586-8285.
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