Elizabeth Yeampierre - Climate Justice Alliance/UPROSE
Miya Yoshitani - APEN
In 2013, a Stanford Scientist and a California environmental justice coalition each put forward a vision and plan to transition our energy system from fossil fuels to 100% clean, renewable energy. They couldn't have been further apart in theories of change and relationship networks, however their leadership was brought together by The Solutions Project's award-winning grant making program and successful strategy to make the idea of 100%renewable energy popular enough to build power for policy change. In just five years, the idea of 100% went from laughable even in environmental circles to the reality as now 1 in 3 people in the United States live in a place already committed to transition to 100% clean energy. This session will cover the history, strategy, successes, impact and lessons learned in the five years of collaboration together and across dozens of frontline, climate justice organizations and coalitions who have designed and won 100% renewable energy campaigns across the country. Key questions our session is meant to address include: * Why is grant making important to larger systems and narrative change strategies and how can money be moved with integrity to movement leadership? * What is the difference and interplay between narrative and campaign communications? What is the risk when these two streams cross-purposes or are conflated? * What happens when a grassroots-centered strategy actually succeeds at scale? When is success not enough and what can we learn from the appropriation of 100% narratives to build and sustain power for frontline movements as we win? * What did our experiences together teach us about the power of relationships, joy, and celebration in the climate movement? * What's beyond 100% and how do we build power through radical collaboration and narrative strategy built on grant making to achieve a just transition to a regenerative economy?