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Climate Equity Community Task Force
Learn more about the Climate Equity Community Task Force (CECTF), a group of community leaders who helped develop King County's first climate justice framework.
About the task force
The Climate Equity Community Task Force (CECTF) was a group of community leaders who represent frontline communities and organizations across greater King County. They were central to the development of the Sustainable & Resilient Frontline Communities section of the 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan, which was King County's first climate justice framework.
The CECTF first convened in spring 2019 and met for 2 years. The task force included 22 community leaders, representing many different frontline communities, including:
- Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities
- Immigrants and refugees
- People living with low incomes
- Communities experiencing disproportionate pollution exposure
- Women, gender non-conforming, and LGTBQ individuals
- People with existing health issues like asthma and heart disease
- People with limited English skills
- People experiencing pregnancy
Despite having to adapt to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was also disproportionately impacting their communities, CECTF members were dedicated and committed to addressing underlying systemic causes to climate inequity. The CECTF developed and recommended 31 community-driven, equity-oriented climate actions for the 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan. These actions:
- Focus on climate equity
- Recognize agency for frontline communities
- Mitigate environmental injustices
- Ensure equitable distribution of environmental benefits
- Recognize intersections with other social issues
The CECTF worked with an internal advisory team of staff from across a wide range of King County departments, including:
- Climate Action team
- Department of Community and Human Services
- Department of Natural Resources and Parks
- Local Services
- Metro
- Office of Emergency Management
- Office of Equity & Social Justice
- Public Health - Seattle & King County
CECTF and the 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan
As part of King County’s commitment to action on climate change and equity and social justice, the 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan included a new Sustainable and Resilient Frontline Communities section. This included the work of the CECTF, whose work identified and outlined 8 equity-driven focus areas:
- Community leadership and community-driven policy making
- Community capacity development
- Equitable Green Jobs and pathways
- Community health and emergency preparedness
- Food systems and security
- Housing security and anti-displacement
- Energy justice and utilities
- Transportation access and equity
King County Executive Dow Constantine to the King County Council transmitted the final 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan to the King County Council in August 2020. It was adopted in May 2021.
Sustainable and Resilient Frontline Communities
Sustainable and Resilient Frontline Communities represents the first climate justice framework for King County, and first community-driven policy-making process for our climate work.
The vision for this work: Frontline communities are centered in developing climate solutions and have the:
- Knowledge
- Skills
- Resources
- Capacity
- Social and political capital
to equitably adapt, lead, and thrive in a changing climate.
The Sustainable and Resilient Frontline Communities section of the Strategic Climate Action Plan highlights actions to increase climate resiliency and mitigate disproportionate climate impacts on frontline communities in King County.