Community Environmental Council Releases Report on Impact of Climate Action

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) has released its most recent Impact Report, which shares key highlights of how CEC is converting a historically oil producing region to one that is regenerative and renewable.

At a time when the federal administration’s regressive climate policies threaten to unravel years of progress, California serves as a critical safeguard, and its stance will determine whether the United States advances or regresses by decades in climate protection. Central Coast communities play a vital role by providing courage, backbone, and proof of concept that strengthen and inform statewide policies. 

“Now is the moment — when things get dark and chaotic — when lighthouse communities like ours are most needed,” said CEO Sigrid Wright. “Despite the unexpected loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding, we are more determined than ever to ensure that Central Coast lighthouses remain lit.” 

In the absence of a federal climate action plan, subnational climate leadership like CEC’s is the only path forward. In 2025, CEC has adjusted its focus to meet the realities and opportunities of the era we now find ourselves in. Their action plan: 

• Resist federal rollbacks and maintain California’s position as a climate leader, providing a model for national and global action 
• Protect vulnerable communities on the Central Coast from the immediate impacts of climate change
• Ensure that the green transition is rapid, equitable, and achievable 
• Convert public angst into action — including providing skills and outlets for the voices of youth
• Transform the Central Coast from a fossil fuel-dependent region to a living laboratory for climate innovation 

This report highlights CEC’s work in 2024 and demonstrates how CEC is working every day to ensure that the California Central Coast region is a tangible, real-world model of what healthy, equitable, climate-safe communities can look like. Highlights include: 

• Providing concierge services in Spanish and English that have helped nearly 1,000 residents, businesses, and nonprofits navigate options, financial incentives, and resources to make EV ownership and charging accessible and affordable 
• Leveraging over $5 million in regional, state, and federal funding to directly assist farmers, ranchers, and land stewards in implementing carbon farming solutions 
• Training hundreds of community members to stand up for climate action and push forward thousands of solutions, one neighborhood at a time.