Diversity and inclusion at Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) strives to be a welcoming and inclusive environment for anyone who wants to work together to solve climate change. We hope you’ll join us on our mission to build bridges and build political will for effective climate solutions in Congress.
We recognize that too many voices are left out of the national climate conversation and not often heard by our lawmakers. Those voices include:
- Indigenous peoples, Black, Latino, and other communities of color, also known as People of the Global Majority, who are most impacted by and concerned about climate change but who have fewer resources and less political influence than others.
See our PGM Action Team >
- People on the political right, who are often assumed not to be supportive of climate action, but who are highly motivated to preserve and protect our beautiful natural spaces.
See our Right-Of-Center Action Team >
- Young people, who are eager to contribute to positive change and ready to earn a seat at the tables where lawmakers are making decisions about our climate future.
See our National Youth Action Team >
At Citizens’ Climate Lobby, our diversity and inclusion work endeavors to engage people from all of these backgrounds and sectors of our society, empowering them to advocate for climate solutions and fostering a sense of belonging as they do so. Our diversity work doesn’t end there, but we put particular emphasis in these areas.
This approach is a natural outgrowth of our core values of relationships, integrity, personal power, being nonpartisan, and diversity. See all our core values here.
Our demographics
We are working to increase the diversity of our organization at all levels, including our supporter base, volunteer leaders, staff, and governing boards.
Our community through the years
Age
- Under 26
- 26-40
- 41-65
- Over 65
Show the numbers
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 26 | 5% | 7% | 10% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 17% | 18% | 17% | 16% | 13% | 9% | 8% |
| 26-40 | 12% | 14% | 15% | 18% | 19% | 20% | 23% | 25% | 28% | 31% | 32% | 35% | 35% |
| 41-65 | 51% | 48% | 44% | 40% | 39% | 37% | 34% | 31% | 29% | 27% | 27% | 26% | 27% |
| Over 65 | 31% | 31% | 31% | 28% | 27% | 28% | 26% | 26% | 26% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% |
People of Color (POC)
Show the numbers
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People of Color | 6% | 6% | 9% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 14% | 14% |
POC Reported Race (% of POC))
Political Ideology
Gender
The following data is collected through self-reported demographic surveys. As of September 2026.
Our community in 2025
* As of December 2025. These percentages are based on 2,462 volunteer responses for LGBTQIA+ Representation, 2,911 for disability, and 2,648 for language. The survey was originally launched in March 2023.
- 12.06%LGBTQIA+
- 10.34%Has a disability
Gender
- Women 57.3%
- Men 41.8%
- Other 0.9%
Show the numbers
| Women | 57.3% |
|---|---|
| Men | 41.8% |
| Unknown | 0.1% |
| Unspecified | 0.8% |
Preferred Language
- English 98%
- French 1.69%
- Spanish 0.31%
- Multilingual 0.28%
- Other 0.06%
Religion
Note: New survey with 85 participants as of Oct. 2026
Our current leadership
| Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) | Under 40; | |
|---|---|---|
| CCL Governing Board | 29% | 18% |
| Staff | 12% | 36% |
| Volunteer Leadership | 9% | 12% |
Volunteer leadership includes chapter leaders, state coordinators, and liaisons to members of Congress)
CCL’s current diversity and inclusion initiatives
Building a welcoming, inclusive organization is an ongoing process. We are committed to ongoing review and reflection of our diversity and inclusion programs described below, and we look forward to continued improvement and expansion.
Volunteer Action Teams
One way we support our volunteers is through Action Teams organized around shared interests and affinities. Some of these teams support our D&I efforts by providing community spaces, engagement with peers, and cultivation of leadership.
As noted above, we have teams dedicated to people who identify as people of color, youth, and political conservatives. Additional D&I-related teams include Asian Pacific, Climate and Culture, Conservative Outreach, Environmental Justice, Interfaith Community, Higher Education, Latinos, Listening to Indigenous Voices, LGBTQA+Allies, Peace Corps, People of the Global Majority, Persons with Disabilities, South Asian, and Youth, as well as many teams organized around diverse affiliations. You can see all Action Teams listed here on CCL Community, our internal volunteer platform.
Our Vice President of People & Culture also works with Community Ambassadors, CCL volunteers from different parts of the country who work on educational programs, training, and BIPOC outreach and support.
Workshops, events, and training
In 2021, CCL began hosting a series of workshops centering education on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The workshops are now held during the Diversity and Inclusion Action Team’s monthly meetings. Past workshops have explored how climate change connects health equity, faith, and disability inclusion, and more. To see past workshops, visit cclusa.org/inclusionlibrary.
August 2026 | Culture, Creativity & Climate: How the Arts Can Drive Environmental Advocacy
June 2026 | Intro to Land Back: Understanding the Land Back Movement and Indigenous Sovereignty
April 2026 | Climate Change and Reproductive Health Equity
For supporters and volunteer leadership, we integrate diversity and inclusion concepts and values into our conferences, national calls, online material, and general training, as well as provide more focused and in-depth diversity and inclusion training for those who are interested.
In 2022, the People of the Global Majority Action Team launched the Inclusion Conference. The virtual event was created and hosted by BIPOC volunteers to center topics of interest to historically excluded communities that are often on the frontline of climate change. This free, annual event is open to all members of the CCL community and the public.
Additionally, we offer regular and ongoing training for staff and evaluations of our efforts. In the spring of 2026, CCL’s Vice President of People & Culture began leading a member-staff team focused on evaluating our strategic diversity goals and training staff (individual and group-based) every quarter.
Fellowships
The Inclusion Department also offers one annual fellowship for a student or adult interested in expanding work in this area across CCL chapters and nationally. The program begins each January and ends in early December. Applications for the next fellowship opportunity become available in late October each year. Write to inclusion@citizensclimate.org to learn more.