Host: Building Decarbonization Coalition
Region: Northern California
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Energy Efficiency, Public Health, Renewable Energy
Skills Needed: Relationship Management, Research, Data Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Flexibility / Adaptability, Self-Motivated

Service Needs & Plans

The Building Decarbonization Coalition has over 100 local government members, representing staff across numerous roles and departments. Due to competing priorities on their time, our members report that having a consistent source of up to date building decarbonization policy information provides them significant value and increases their capacity to do their jobs effectively.

This position will support our organizational priorities to address climate change and public health by transitioning buildings off of fossil fuels. This role will continue connecting local government officials with policymakers, building industry stakeholders, environmental groups, and consumers to advance appliance electrification as a solution.

Project Description

1. Overarching goals of the project
– Monitor progress and track the evolution of building decarbonization policy adoption across the state.
– Coordinate a network of local government officials and technical experts to share knowledge about the latest building decarbonization policy updates.
– Share best practices and case studies across our local government network in California.

2. Role of the Fellow in the project
More than 70 local governments in California have adopted ordinances that require or encourage all new buildings in their jurisdiction to be built all-electric. This represents over a quarter of California’s entire population. As David Vogel coined in his term the “California effect”, what happens in California often has national implications and this policy arena is no different. Since Berkeley adopted its ordinance in 2019, the number jurisdictions that encourage or require building electrification has grown to over 100, representing over one fifth of the US population.

The Building Decarbonization Coalition is the leading organization tracking these policy efforts via our Zero Emission Buildings Tracker. This online tool is used to inform policymakers, the building industry, and the media about the latest trends in building decarbonization policy. The fellow will provide critical research support to BDC’s Local Government Associate to help maintain this important resource in California.

Specifically, the fellow will read and analyze building codes, local ordinances, and staff reports to identify key information to be included in the tracker. They will also help coordinate BDC’s network of local jurisdictions to share resources, trends, and lessons learned from analyzing policy developments and policy updates from our statewide California and Switch is On Teams.

Lastly, the fellow will explore opportunities to connect with new jurisdictions across the state that are interested in building electrification. Currently, the majority of the jurisdictions that have developed building decarbonization policies are located in coastal California. The fellow will leverage the Civic Spark network and data sets such as CalEnviroScreen 4.0 to research potential opportunities to support jurisdictions with a higher prevalence of disadvantaged communities.

3. Desired project outcomes in terms of resources developed (e.g., reports, plans, networks, etc.)
– Maintain an accurate and up-to-date, public-facing building decarbonization policy data set.
– Grow and nurture BDC’s network of local jurisdiction staff members in California via monthly newsletter communication, at least 3 webinars, and monthly informational interviews.
– Identify and report out emerging building decarbonization policy trends.

4. How these resources will help increase the agency’s capacity to address the resilience challenges you described in the previous section. *

Local jurisdiction staff in California manage competing priorities with limited resources and increasing pressure on their time. All the while, the landscape of building decarbonization policies is changing rapidly at the federal, state and local levels. In order to help local jurisdiction staff keep up to speed with this rapidly changing field, the Fellow position will support best practice sharing and coordination of BDC’s existing network of local jurisdiction staff while seeking to expand our reach to jurisdictions representing disadvantaged communities. Local jurisdictions often look to one another for policy inspiration. Our Zero Emission Building Ordinance tracker and knowledge sharing network tools allow jurisdiction to learn the latest policy updates without duplicating research efforts.

Desired Skills

The Building Decarbonization Coalition is a rapidly growing, national non-profit. Our team values self-motivated, adaptable critical thinkers to fit well with our supportive culture. The ideal Fellow will have a research background, strong virtual and in-person public speaking skills, and be motivated by building and maintaining strong professional relationships.

Organization & Community Highlights

The BDC is a rapidly growing remote organization with 30+ staff (and 6 open positions). We meet virtually every Monday as an all-staff team to connect with each other on a personal and professional level. We operate in 90-day sprints to institute an agile process of “reflection, planning, and doing”. Project teams meet in person every three-six months for an extended half- or full-day of reflection and planning. We have found that this cadence ensures we all stay connected, but also do not “over plan”.

Our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is embedded in every aspect of our work. We know that to achieve equitable policy outcomes the policy development process must be inclusive. Toward this end, we work collaboratively with labor, environmental justice, as well as key industry stakeholders like appliance manufacturers, energy providers, and the design and construction industry.

A fellowship with the BDC will be a valuable experience for any professional seeking a career in climate policy. Our organization is committed to advancing the learning and development of our staff. Supervisors meet with employees to coach them in developing a learning and development plan. The plan is revisited twice per year to assess progress towards achieving professional goals. In addition to personal development, Fellows will experience the broad range of work required to pass impactful and equitable policy, the way that history impacts today’s policy landscape, and how important building relationships with diverse stakeholders is to advancing a cause like building decarbonization.

Remote or On-Site Placement

Remote