Take Action (Chapter Planning) Worksheet For CCL’s Policy Agenda

Use this resource (Google Document link) to help your chapter make plans for 2023 around our policy agenda. Use all of it or any elements you find helpful in your own chapter action planning. Once completed, share the final version of it with chapter members. This will help them understand the areas of focus your chapter is strategically working on in the year ahead and how they can get involved.

First, learn about the policies and increase capacity

• Check out the policy sessions from the December conference, you can find the recordings here. 
• You can find trainings and sitewide forums for our policy agenda on CCL Community. 
• Your chapter can strategically increase its capacity to do this work by pulling in new volunteers and volunteers who were active before COVID. Also, you will likely meet recruitable people who are inspired to join CCL and support your work as you start your policy advocacy.

Chapter discussion

Review CCL's policy agenda with your chapter. Then discuss these three questions before you fill in the Take Action Worksheet(s).

1. What policies are folks personally excited about working on in 2023?
2. Which policies are most relevant and applicable to your community or state? What potential allies exist in your locale?
3. Which policies are most likely to be important to your own MOC(s)? 

Ensure that chapter members leave your meeting with a personal and immediate next step based on what is most interesting to them. Next steps might include research into needs, activities, potential allies and resources in your locale. Then reconvene in January to share research results and start advocating for the policies you selected.  

Policy Areas

Carbon Pricing

Your chapter can promote this policy area by (1) focusing on CFD/carbon cashback with grassroots outreach, (2) working with MOCs who are interested on carbon border adjustment mechanisms, (3) advocating bills in the 118th Congress including possibly a newly introduced EICDA, and (4) getting endorsements for CFD and carbon pricing.

Building Electrification and Efficiency

Your chapter can help people and organizations in your vicinity to (1) advocate for fair and equitable building electrification and efficiency policies locally and in Congress, and (2) educate the public and elected officials on the importance of efficiency and electrification and how they can accelerate the transition to clean energy buildings, with attention to supporting low- and middle-income households in that transition. One good approach here may be to collaborate with complementary local organizations that are focused on building electrification and efficiency. 

Healthy Forests

Your chapter can effectively advocate for this type of policy at the city, county, state and federal level. Start by discovering what local organizations exist in your vicinity that are focused on forests, including urban forests, and then make a plan to work with them directly. This can include being part of tree planting or trail clean up events, which can be a great way to build relationships and recruit new members. Also plan to lobby for federal bills that CCL identifies as a priority.

Clean Energy Permitting Reform

For this area, the focus will be on Congress. CCL will provide detailed guidance here as clean energy permitting reform bills are introduced. Be sure to include lobbying in your worksheet and pull other levers when you feel it’s locally useful.

Take Action Worksheet
 

• Who is leading the work in this policy area for your chapter? 
• Who else is on the team?
• What is our plan to get fully up to speed on the policy?
• What is our plan for setting 2023 goals and making a 2023 schedule to achieve the goals?
• How might this policy help increase our local recruitment?  
• What local organizations are working on this issue? 
• How will we pull CCL’s levers to advocate for this policy?
• Lobbying 
• Grassroots outreach (including service work that builds connections within our community)
• Grasstops engagement 
• Media relations 
• Chapter and volunteer development