Multnomah County Is on the Brink of Undoing Its Own Climate Commitments

Over the last decade, Multnomah County has become a national leader in climate and environmental justice – not just in name, but in real, tangible work that protects communities on the frontlines of pollution, extreme weather, and systemic neglect. From diesel phase-outs in working-class neighborhoods to resisting fossil fuel expansion at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub (CEI Hub), the County has built a climate legacy rooted in justice, transparency, and its people.

That legacy is under threat. 

Despite years of progress and powerful community-driven climate wins, Multnomah County Commissioners are considering slashing the very programs that have made that progress possible. That means cuts to live-saving air quality initiatives, climate resilience infrastructure, and equity-based policies that ensure our most impacted community members aren’t left behind in the climate crisis. 

We can’t let this happen! Send a letter to County Commissioners, demanding that they stop these cuts.

What’s at stake?

This is not just about budget lines – it’s about people’s lives, and whether we abandon the values that have guided Multnomah County’s climate leadership. Initiatives at risk include:

• Programs that cut diesel pollution in BIPOC and low-income neighborhoods.

• Efforts to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable for climate disasters like the 2021 heat dome that killed 69 County residents. 

• Work to protect communities living in the blast zone of fossil fuel infrastructure at the CEI Hub and along oil train corridors. 

Multnomah County’s Climate Justice Plan was co-created with frontline communities. It’s a blueprint for how we confront historic harm, fight false solutions, and build a safe, healthy, and just future. In sabotaging it’s own plan, Multnomah County would not only be betraying those communities, it would be a gift to the fossil fuel industry. At a time when climate disasters are accelerating, federal protections are eroding, and state leadership is falling short, local governments are our last line of defense. 

What you can do:

We need a groundswell of community pressure to remind Multnomah County leaders who they represent and why these programs must be protected. Join us in demanding that the County uphold its values and reject these dangerous cuts.

Send a letter to County Commissioners now. 

If Multnomah County wants to continue being a national leader in action, it needs to stand up for its climate and sustainability programs, not walk away from them.