Climate Justice, Community Built Across Monterey Bay
Our Region & Context
We live in and love the Monterey Bay Area, a region defined by its stunning landscapes across San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz Counties. While agriculture and tourism form our economic heartbeat, these industries face climate vulnerabilities and persistent equity gaps. Our communities share diverse demographics yet struggle with significant housing-to-income disparities, labor rights issues, low wages, language barriers, and a lack of affordable transportation.
The Challenge
The Monterey Bay Area region is already experiencing significant climate change impacts—drought, heavy rains, wildfires, extreme heat days—and are inadequately prepared to compete for climate state and federal funding commitments despite the fact that these grants require meaningful participation from frontline organizations.
our strategy
Our strategy is to build a broad, inclusive, cross-sector, functional network of organizations that joins, engages and galvanizes front line communities to develop and implement climate change
working equitably and collaboratively to share power in new ways.
communities of Focus
Across our region, farmworker, immigrant, and low-income neighbors feel climate impacts first—from floods and wildfires to extreme heat.
The 27 Communities of Focus (CoF) we are building capacity with and for, represent our greatest regional needs: 8 disadvantaged census tracts in the cities of Salinas, Watsonville, Marina, and the unincorporated community of Pájaro, plus 19 low-income census tracts from Santa Cruz, Castroville, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City, and Hollister.
The Monterey Bay Area Climate justice Collaborative (MBACJC) bridges community wisdom with agency resources to design solutions with, not for, the people most affected. Through consensus and peacemaking, we align partners to deliver equitable, scalable results.
The Monterey Bay Area Climate
justice Collaborative (MBACJC) bridges community wisdom with agency resources to design solutions with, not for, the people most affected. Through consensus and peacemaking, we align partners to deliver equitable, scalable results
Our Origin & Evolution
The Foundation. Climate justice requires more than good intentions—it demands new ways of working. Our Collaborative began formation with a series of surveys, facilitated interviews and DEI trainings.
The Discovery. While initial research found minimal connection between the social service and climate sectors, every representative had formally partnered with at least one other group, building a web of trust connecting the agencies and CBOs and justice-climate sectors.
After the formation of the Collaborative in 2022, members strengthened relationships in monthly meetings and yearly collaboratives, and continue to partner to secure funding and policy gains to benefit our CoF.
Values & Operations
Land Acknowledgment
We honor the unceded lands and waters of the Ohlone, Costanoan, Amah Mutsun, Esselen, Rumsen/Rumsien, Salinan, Awaswas, Chalon, and Tamien Peoples. We commit to Indigenous-centered learning, relationship, and stewardship.
Our Values & Principles
• Equity, reciprocity, and respect
• Consensus decision-making with consent-based fallback
• Bilingual engagement (Spanish/English; Mixteco as needed)
• Learning mindset—humility, care, and accountability
• Leaderfull collaboration: power shared, not hoarded
Bilingual Mandate
We design for access: meetings in Spanish with English interpretation (or vice versa), Mixteco interpretation when needed, paid participation stipends, and plain-language tools that turn climate science into everyday action
Leadership & Governance
Our collaborative is non-hierarchical.
Two rotating Co-Chairs provide support in decision making; a Collaborative Manager (hosted at Regeneración) supports coordination. When conflict arises, we use
peacemaking to restore relationships and keep the work moving.
Our Collaborative Leadership.
We are a network of community organizations, tribal partners, public agencies, and advocates. Titles matter less than trust: we lift frontline leadership and make room for every voice to be heard.
join the MBACJC today!
Membership Responsibilities
Members of the MBACJC are all interested parties that commit to participating in at least 75% of regular meetings.
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Meeting Schedule: Generally held monthly (approved each January), with 1–3 in-person meetings per year to build trust.
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Stipends & Dues: There are currently no dues required. Members representing marginalized communities may request compensation/stipends for attendance
