Grounded Solutions: Advancing Climate Justice Through Partnerships and Praxis

The NYC Climate Justice Hub, a collaborative partnership between the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA) and the City University of New York (CUNY), aims to support NYC-EJA’s efforts to achieve climate justice for New York City’s underserved, working-class communities of color through equitable, frontline-led research, education, and leadership. Drawing on a legacy of community-university partnerships, the Hub confronts historical power imbalances that have often hindered these collaborations. By adhering to the Jemez Principles of Democratic Organizing and prioritizing community needs, the Hub ensures that local voices shape and guide its practices. This model offers a framework for how an urban university engages in climate justice work that centers on relational accountability, shared power, and sustainable outcomes for communities.