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Photo of Oregon state capitol
What's ahead for climate action in Salem?

No corner of our state was left untouched by climate-fueled storms and harms last year. Almost every season was marked by impacts, including wildfire, smoke, drought, flooding and deadly heat waves. After the climate extremes we all suffered through last year (during a global pandemic)—we know there is no taking a year off from climate action.

Check out our climate agenda

Our state leaders did step up on climate last year. They took action to move our state to 100% clean electricity and started to address environmental justice.  

But the growing climate crisis will not take a year off from hurting our state, and our legislators cannot take a year off from making climate progress either. 

There is unfinished business that didn’t get done last year, and also other key policies our legislators can pass to ensure that we stop making things worse—and start making them better—when it comes to climate change and addressing long-term inequities from pollution.  

The biggest thing they can do on climate this year? Let communities across the state do all they can to cut pollution and make their buildings more energy efficient. An outdated law currently holds our cities and towns back from reaching their climate goals. The Oregon Legislature needs to finish the job from 2021 and pass the Reach code bill (SB 1518) this session. 

There are other pieces of critical legislation before lawmakers this session too. Check out our agenda and sign up for action alerts from us—via email and text!  

Thanks for all you do to accelerate climate solutions! 

Author Bio

Meredith Connolly

Director of Policy and Strategy, Climate Solutions

Meredith brings over a decade of climate policy experience to her work to help secure needed climate progress. She advocates for innovative and equitable policy solutions to reduce climate and air pollution and create a thriving clean energy economy across the Northwest.

Meredith previously served as Climate Solutions’ Oregon Director until 2024, where she helped pass key climate laws to transition Oregon’s electric grid to 100% clean energy and electrify the buildings and transportation sectors. Prior to joining Climate Solutions, Meredith was a Climate and Energy Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. At NRDC, she advanced renewable energy policies in the U.S. and internationally. She also implemented programs to protect public health and improve climate resilience to heat waves and air pollution in India’s growing cities. Before NRDC, Meredith practiced law in the private sector.

Meredith is a member of the Oregon and California State Bar Associations. She holds a JD from Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and French from Santa Clara University. In her free time, Meredith enjoys exploring her incredible home state of Oregon with her family and rooting too loudly for the Portland Thorns and Timbers.