News

2020 has been a year like no other. In the midst of the pandemic and the election that have dominated the news and our lives in so many ways, the Michigan Climate Action Network (MiCAN) and our partners have managed to achieve significant climate wins that have set us up for 2021 to be one of the most important years for climate action.

As we get ready for 2021, we know there has never been a better opportunity for action on climate in our state, and Michigan has never been better positioned to lead. We also know when we think of the flooding, wildfires, disappearing Great Lakes shoreline, and lives cut short from pollution this year, that there has never been a more urgent time for action.

Help build on the momentum and make 2021 the year of more significant climate action in Michigan.
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Thanks to your support, we're proud of our many accomplishments this year:

In the six weeks before the election, we launched three professionally made videos that reached over 350,000 to help “Get out the Vote” and elevate climate change. We’re so excited to have been part of the incredible effort across our state to achieve a record-breaking turnout, and we would not have been able to reach nearly as many people if our supporters had not been investing in building our movement.

In September Governor Whitmer signed a Climate Executive Order (EO) that sets a goal for Michigan to be carbon neutral by 2050 and to cut climate pollution by 28% by 2025! This ambitious statewide goal is what MiCAN and our supporters and partners have been working toward for years. With this goal, we have become one of the leading states in the nation for climate action, and it makes sure we do our part to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. We are thrilled that Michigan is taking this bold action on climate, and we will do everything we can to help achieve these climate goals.

This summer, we joined the legal experts at the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) as formal interveners in groundbreaking work to make sure the Michigan Public Service Commission considers the climate impacts of Enbridge’s proposed oil tunnel. ELPC has lined up expert witnesses who will provide evidence on how much climate pollution would increase from building an oil tunnel. But Enbridge is trying to prevent the Commission from considering climate in this decision, and last month an Administrative Law Judge in the case ruled to leave climate out. We are appealing this ruling with the Commission, and we expect their decision in mid-December. We will keep fighting to make sure the climate impacts of major fossil fuel projects are considered.

With every Michigan House of Representatives seat on November’s ballot, this has been a critical year to reach and educate incoming lawmakers about climate and clean energy. This summer we developed a climate survey that we sent to all 400 candidates to educate them about the climate solutions we need and the clean energy issues and policies that will cross their desks in 2021. We are now gearing up to see if we can pass a clean energy policy in the lame-duck session before the year’s end.

This year we also launched a Podcast focused on climate solutions in Michigan, interviewing a dozen state and national thought leaders and garnering 3,000 listeners. Meanwhile, we grew our network to over 30,000 individuals, and we were quoted in more than a dozen climate media stories in local, state, and national news. All of this work and this important progress is thanks to the financial support from people like you. It would not have happened without you.

This year we also are working to make MiCAN an even bigger force for change. In January we will hire a new Engagement Director to nearly double our staff capacity, help build a more diverse and powerful climate and justice movement, and allow us to support so many more activists and coalitions leading important climate and justice campaigns in Michigan! Check out the job listing.

MiCAN’s effectiveness and our impact grow from our small team of staff and volunteers, a powerful network of member groups, and tens of thousands of people. We know that when we apply our network, we get results. We have a huge opportunity this year to build on the Climate Executive Order and make sure there is a strong plan and commitment to implement the bold goals.

PS: Your tax-deductable donation gives you an active role in building the climate movement you know we need. Please give now.