Sierra Club Foundation

For over a century the Sierra Club has been at the forefront of protecting the natural environment and promoting the responsible use of the Earth’s ecosystems and resources. Coal plants are the nation’s top source of carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of climate change. The mining, transport, storage, and burning of coal also causes smog, acid rain, toxic air pollution, and impairs substantially the natural environment. In less than a decade the Sierra Club has helped to secure the largest wave of announced retirements of existing coal-fired power plants through its Beyond Coal campaign. The grant supports this campaign, providing the Sierra Club with resources to gather local, regional, and national allies to apply concentrated regulatory, economic, and social pressure to retire the most polluting coal plants and spur a new wave of investment in clean energy.

For over a century the Sierra Club has been at the forefront of protecting the natural environment and promoting the responsible use of the Earth’s ecosystems and resources. Coal plants are the nation’s top source of carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of climate change. The mining, transport, storage, and burning of coal also causes smog, acid rain, toxic air pollution, and impairs substantially the natural environment. In less than a decade the Sierra Club has helped to secure the largest wave of announced retirements of existing coal-fired power plants—over 260 and counting—through its “Beyond Coal” Campaign. The grant supports this campaign, providing the Sierra Club with resources to gather local, regional, and national allies to apply concentrated regulatory, economic, and social pressure to retire the most polluting coal plants and spur a new wave of investment in clean energy.

For over a century the Sierra Club has been at the forefront of protecting the natural environment and promoting the responsible use of the Earth's ecosystems and resources. Coal plants are the nation's top source of carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of climate change. The mining, transport, storage and burning of coal also causes smog, acid rain, toxic air pollution,and impairs substantially the natural environment. In the past several years, Sierra Club has helped to secure the largest wave of announced retirements of existing coal-fired power plantssalmost 200 and counting-in U.S. history through its "Beyond Coal" campaign. The grant supports the Sierra Club's "Beyond Coal" campaign, with a particular emphasis on closing coal plants and supporting renewable energy production in the Midwest. Coordinating community organizers, lawyers and environmental activists, the Sierra Club gathers local, regional and national allies to concentrate regulatory, economic and social pressure to retire the most polluting coal plants and spur a new wave of investment in clean energy.

For over a century the Sierra Club has been at the forefront of protecting the natural environment and promoting the responsible use of the Earth’s ecosystems and resources. Coal plants are the nation’s top source of carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of climate change. The mining, transport, storage and burning of coal also causes smog, acid rain, toxic air pollution, and impairs substantially the natural environment. In the past several years, Sierra Club has helped to secure the largest wave of announced retirements of existing coal-fired power plants—145 and counting—in U.S. history through its “Beyond Coal” campaign. The proposed grant will support the next phase of the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign, with a particular emphasis on closing coal plants and supporting renewable energy production in the Midwest. Given the coal industry’s vulnerability due to changing economics around energy production and an Environmental Protection Agency that is beginning to roll out long-overdue rules targeting coal’s pollution, there is a near-term opportunity to achieve substantial reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Coordinating community organizers, lawyers and environmental activists, the Sierra Club gathers local, regional and national allies to concentrate regulatory, economic and social pressure to retire the most polluting coal plants and spur a new wave of investment in clean energy. Grant funds will be used for staff time, travel, and related administrative costs for planning and executing the “Beyond Coal” campaign.