The Charleston Climate Coalition (CCC) grew out of a need to fill what was seen as a void – the lack of organized activism around the very real impacts of climate change happening right in the community. Charleston faces a triple threat of accelerating sea-level rise, increasingly intense storms, and sinking land that has already caused nuisance flooding to surge by 409% in recent decades—making the city one of America’s most vulnerable to catastrophic inundation by 2100. Inspired by the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and spurred on by a rally in 2019 that brought together like-minded individuals, the group formalized in 2020 to create alliances within the community, and between private and public organizations to tackle the global climate crisis by starting locally, in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Through their four “working circles” – Art & Media, Event Planning, Climate Alliances, and its Climate Action Plan Campaign – CCC’s mission is to brand itself as the leader in climate activism in the vulnerable Southeast region.
Charleston Climate Coalition (CCC) shares their inspiring mission at an event.
Making climate activism joyful, impactful and inclusive, CCC’s 3-person staff and team of volunteers cultivate partnerships by co-hosting events with allies, collaborating with educational institutions and sustainable businesses, and building momentum across communities to continue to push for, publicly debate, and pass climate resolutions, one by one. In a remarkably short time and by immersing themselves in local politics, CCC successfully got two climate resolutions passed in James Island and Charleston County, pushing back on Dominion Energy South Carolina’s attempt to kill rooftop solar, and advocating for Charleston’s Climate Action Plan. CCC urges municipalities around the Lowcountry to join Charleston to collaboratively address the climate crisis by creating their own climate action plans. Ongoing CCC projects include a quarterly climate action magazine, Surge; green alliances with local businesses, farms, educators, churches, and social justice groups; an assessment of the particular hazards and vulnerabilities of communities on a case-by-case basis; and events for education and mobilization.