About the Climate Justice Wing
The Climate Justice Wing (CJW) of the Maryland Legislative Coalition is a collaborative community of over 30 grassroots and professional organizations and individuals primarily focused on state legislative advocacy, while also tracking and supporting implementation, to address climate change in a just and equitable way for all Marylanders. We inform, educate, and engage grassroots groups and legislators by serving as a source of expertise and advocating for critical climate justice policy. We work in partnership with other groups and coalitions and seek to support and lift-up the issues, needs, and goals of frontline communities and communities of color.
Our goals include:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the state’s climate targets
- Reducing our dependence on and use of fossil fuels (decarbonization)
- Increasing energy efficiency and electrification of buildings
- Promoting transportation for the future (e.g., increased public transit, vehicle electrification, and bikeable/walkable communities)
- Drawing down carbon (including enhancing natural systems to cool the planet)
- Adapting to current and future climate change impacts
- Improving resiliency to those impacts, particularly for disproportionately affected communities.
Since 2021, we have focused annually on two-three priority bills and have helped achieve several legislative wins, including, 2021 Transit Safety and Investment Act, 2022 Climate Solutions Now Act, 2023 Community Solar Pilot Program, 2024 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plans (EMPOWER Reform), 2025 provisions of the Ratepayer Protection Act, and Abundant Affordable Clean Energy Act (battery storage) included in Next Generation Energy Act. We submit testimony, write op-eds, and advocate in support of our priority and other climate justice and environmental bills.
In 2024 and 2025, we focused on five issues:
- Transition Buildings to Efficient Electric and Stop Expansion of Gas Infrastructure
- Upgrade Electric Transmission and Distribution Systems
- Put Common-Sense Guardrails Around Data Center Development
- Adequately Fund Climate Solutions Now Act Implementation
- Transportation emission reductions, specifically focused on the reintroduction of the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act
Our Member Organizations (and Growing)!
- 350MoCo
- Adat Shalom Climate Action
- Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church Environmental Justice Ministry
- Chesapeake Earth Holders
- Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Climate Parents of Prince George’s
- Climate Reality Project
- ClimateXChange – Rebuild Maryland Coalition
- Coming Clean Network, Union of Concerned Scientists
- DoTheMostGood Montgomery County
- Echotopia
- Elders Climate Action
- Fix Maryland Rail
- Glen Echo Heights Mobilization
- Greenbelt Climate Action Network
- HoCoClimateAction
- IndivisibleHoCoMD
- Maryland Legislative Coalition
- Mobilize Frederick
- Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
- Montgomery Countryside Alliance
- Mountain Maryland Movement
- Nuclear Information & Resource Service
- Progressive Maryland
- Safe & Healthy Playing Fields
- Takoma Park Mobilization Environment Committee
- The Climate Mobilization MoCo Chapter
- Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland
- WISE