Renew U.S.

Renew U.S. is a program dedicated to building state-based, multi-racial grassroots power to combat the overlapping crises of climate change, economic inequality and racial injustice. Formed in early 2020, Renew integrates deep organizing, policy advocacy and electoral politics to achieve immediate state-level policy victories and long-term, sustained political transformation. It is a new model for lasting power-building that can be scaled on the timeframe necessary to meet the social and environmental crises we face.

In 2020, Renew piloted its program in six Northeastern states. We built a strong foundation and a powerful multi-racial coalition of over 150 grassroots organizations led by frontline communities, organized labor, Indigenous tribes, environmental justice advocates, youth groups, and racial justice organizations. The coalition developed a detailed and ambitious regional Green New Deal policy platform designed to address mass unemployment, racial injustice, and the climate crisis. We have successfully demonstrated that we can unite interest groups that have historically worked in isolation and elevate the voices and needs of those most impacted by our overlapping crises.

Additionally, in the 2020 election, Renew supported over 200 state and local candidates across the region who committed to fight for this policy platform and to refuse donations from the fossil fuel industry – a stunning 64% of these candidates won. Renew now plans to expand our electoral program to up to 9 more states – for a total of 15 – in the 2022 election cycle. Our goal is to win governing majorities in state legislatures in order to pass ambitious economic, racial, and climate justice legislation.