Resource Type: Evaluation & Measuring Progress

Over the past 20 years working in the climate movement, I’ve been part of both countless campaigns to secure a “transformational win” and countless attempts to support better sharing of data, testing, and other advocacy lessons learned. Today, the Lab is thrilled to launch a new IRA Data & Insights Hub in partnership with impact agency 89up, which collects and synthesizes IRA campaign data, translating the results into actionable insights to inform advocacy and communication strategies. A huge thank you to the 23 organizations (and counting) who have generously contributed their testing results to the Hub!

I recently traded in my plug-in hybrid for an all-electric model, marking the full transition of our household to electric vehicles (EVs)! Last year, EVs accounted for a record-high 7% of new car sales in the US. Climate advocates expect the Biden Administration to release final vehicle emissions standards that will put the US on a path toward a zero-emission transportation future in the next few weeks.
The Lab last covered research and insights related to EVs* in 2021. While many of our past recommendations hold up, the advocacy context has evolved significantly over the last 3 years! Read on for updates across the vehicle electrification space.

“The push and pull of progress and catastrophe made 2023 one of the most discordant—and consequential—years for the world’s climate,” as our friends at Inside Climate News phrased it. Indeed, 2023 was not only a roller coaster year for climate, but also for the climate movement. 
On the one hand, we saw:
Dramatic increases in renewable energy investments and installations as well as progress toward electrification, from heat pumps to EVs;
Big wins at the state and local level – including landmark climate laws passed in Minnesota and Michigan;
A Montana judge rule that young people have a “fundamental right” to a safe and stable climate, underscoring the important role of legal action within our strategic toolkit; and 
The number of folks (56%) who are “Alarmed” or “Concerned” about climate rise to the highest that it’s ever been.
And on the other: 
2023 was the hottest year on record;
Intensifying climate disasters wrecked havoc across the US and the globally, claiming thousands of lives; 
The US is not currently on track to meet its goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030;
Domestic oil and methane gas production both hit record-high levels last year; and
Our movement suffered significant setbacks around high-profile oil and gas fights, including the Willow Project and Line 5 pipeline.  
Last January, we shared thoughts on 13 ideas & trends that will shape climate activism in 2023*. Looking ahead to 2024, we will check back on some of those trends as well as what else may be coming down the pike this year.

We’ve just wrapped up COP28 in Dubai. While there were a lot of great words about the need to decarbonize and reduce emissions (though pointedly not the words “phase-out”), it’s impossible to ignore the context of those grand statements: an international climate treaty conference located in a petrostate, presided over by an oil executive, overrun by fossil fuel lobbyists, and being used as the backdrop for still more oil and gas deals. Despite these structural barriers and some oddly patronizing attempts at pacification, climate advocates have made their voices heard at COP28, rejecting Dubai’s facade of decorum and business-as-usual.
It’s been a few years since we wrote a newsletter summarizing insights on fossil fuel fights* – so as we close out 2023 (and salute the hard-fought wins we’ve achieved this year!) let’s keep an eye on the fossil fuel front and explore some ways to respond.

My grandfather, Chester Barnett, grew up on a corn farm in southern Indiana in the early 1900s. He lived in rural communities for most of his life, including the tiny town of Yreka, CA where my Mom was raised. I thought about him (and my family’s “rural roots”) a lot when I was back in Indiana recently for a conference — which, in addition to lots of great discussions, included a tour of several “rural climate solutions” sites.