June 24, 2019 Got Green and 350 Seattle RE: Green New Deal Endorsement Dear Seattle for a Green New Deal: The Seattle City Councilmembers named below endorse your bold vision for a Green New Deal for Seattle, as outlined in your “Seattle for a Green New Deal: Endorsement Letter” attached here. Seattle has long been proud to be a national leader in the environmental movement, but it’s time for us to recognize that what is truly needed is environmental justice. We need to show how Seattle - a City that prides itself on its progressive values - can also lead the way in confronting the historical and current injustices that have created a society of deep racial and economic inequities. We need bold community leaders like you to hold us accountable, and ensure that as public servants, we are creating the boldest and most visionary policies possible to meet the unprecedented crisis of climate change. Indeed, we need this more than ever. Despite the fact that Seattle has long been viewed as an environmental leader, in recent years our climate pollution has been rising ― at the time we can least afford it. As you have clearly expressed, a Green New Deal for Seattle presents an opportunity to do much more than just reduce our pollution. The Green New Deal presents the opportunity to not only achieve a fossil fuel-free future for Seattle, but an equitable City where all are not only welcomed, but are valued, protected, and supported to thrive. We admire how clearly you have articulated what a just and sustainable future for Seattle looks like, and what is required to achieve it. We need dramatic transitions in our energy, transportation, housing, and health systems. We need stronger plans and more resources for emergency preparedness, building community resilience, growing food locally, and safe places for people to go when air quality is poor. Critical to all of these transitions is ensuring that workers are given the support and training to move away from jobs that exploit them and create pollution, to secure high-quality living wage, unionized jobs where every worker can earn enough to live comfortably in our great City, support a family and maintain dignity. We will work with you to identify progressive funding sources at the scale needed to bring about these transformations. Most importantly, we commit to centering solutions from the communities most impacted by environmental issues – Black, Indigenous, People of Color and low-income communities – as we know that these communities are the experts on environmental justice due to their first-hand lived experience. The following words from your letter resonated with us: An equal opportunity employer 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2 PO Box 34025, Seattle Washington 98124-4025 Phone (206) 684-8804 Fax (206) 684-8587 TTY (206) 233-0025 Email council@seattle.gov “Seattle has what it takes to be a global climate leader. We have communities who have been fighting injustice for generations, who can lead the way in showing how we take care of one another while demanding a healthy, stable future for all of us. We have neighborhoods striving for local resiliency. We have industries full of workers who are increasingly asking how they can use their skills and knowledge for the public good. We have city leaders who have time and again acknowledged that the climate crisis is not just fought at the U.N. or in D.C.; it’s fought and won here, where we live. This is the moment for all of us to come together and do what must be done for our common future.” We thank you for your leadership, express our support for your vision of a Green New Deal for Seattle, and commit to partnering with you to realize this vision and achieve a just and sustainable future for all Seattleites. Sincerely, ______________________________ ________________________________ Council President Bruce Harrell Councilmember Mike O’Brien _______________________________ ________________________________ Councilmember Sally Bagshaw Councilmember Lisa Herbold _______________________________ ________________________________ Councilmember M. Lorena González Councilmember Abel Pacheco _______________________________ ________________________________ Councilmember Kshama Sawant Mosqueda Councilmember Teresa _______________________________ Councilmember Debora Juarez An equal opportunity employer 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2 PO Box 34025, Seattle Washington 98124-4025 Phone (206) 684-8804 Fax (206) 684-8587 TTY (206) 233-0025 Email council@seattle.gov