The Solutions Project Launches First-Ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Climate Week From May 24 to May 30

OAKLAND, Calif., May 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After launching the first-ever Black Climate Week and Women's Climate Week earlier this year, The Solutions Project announces the first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Climate Week, running today through Sunday, May 30. The Solutions Project will run a digital campaign on its website and social media accounts celebrating the extraordinary contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander scientists, advocates, and organizers to the climate justice movement.

"The launch of the first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Climate Week is especially important to me, given the historic bonds between Black and Asian Americans building power in solidarity over this country's longer arc towards justice," said Gloria Walton, president and CEO of The Solutions Project. "The Solutions Project stands with the AAPI community, and is dedicated to supporting and recognizing the critical role that Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders and youth activists play in the climate justice movement, not just this week but every week and throughout history."

The Solutions Project launched AAPI Climate Week to coincide with Asian American and Pacific Islander History Month; Women's Climate Week to coincide with Women's History Month; and Black Climate Week to coincide with Black History Month. These climate week initiatives reflect The Solutions Project's everyday mission to spotlight and shift racial and gender injustices in climate philanthropy, thought leadership, and media coverage.

The inaugural AAPI Climate Week will celebrate intergenerational leadership, including:

• Miya Yoshitani, also a participant in the inaugural Women's Climate Week, is the executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. APEN fights polluters and develops the leadership and power of poor and working-class Asian American immigrant and refugee communities, winning policy solutions in occupational safety, affordable housing, transportation and land use. Miya co-authored the Principles of Environmental Justice and sits on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
• Lauren Kim is an Environmental Studies student coordinator and peer mentor at Yale University, double majoring in Urban Studies. Through her work as an environmental justice peer mentor, organizing with farmworkers, and building food forests in Taiwan, she advocates for an intergenerational and inclusive climate movement. She prioritizes the voices of front-line communities in her organizing and research, and plans to pursue graduate studies in climate resiliency and disaster mitigation. She is a Udall Scholar, UW Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, Greening Youth Woman of Color Environmentalist, and the 2018 Project Green Challenge Co-Champion.
• Vandana Shiva is a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, world-renowned author, global thought leader, and a tireless defender of the environment. She is the founder of Navdanya International, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers' rights. She is also the founder and director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy. Shiva fights for changes in the practice and paradigms of agriculture and food. TIME magazine identified Shiva as an "environmental hero," and Asia Week has called her one of the five most powerful communicators in Asia.
• Charlie Jiang is an organizer for 350 DC and a climate campaigner with Green Peace USA, fighting for a Green New Deal that brings justice for communities and workers most impacted by the climate crisis and fossil fuel extraction. He has a background in clean energy engineering and organizing with youth climate movements. From Chicago, he's currently based on unceded Piscataway lands in Washington, DC.

"I'm honored that The Solutions Project selected me to participate in both Women's Climate Week and Asian American and Pacific Islander Climate Week, especially given how difficult this past year has been for Asian Americans, and Asian American women in particular," said Miya Yoshitani, executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN). "APEN is working to create healthy, thriving, and resilient communities free of racism, sexism, pollution, and injustice in all forms. These climate week initiatives help to raise awareness and support for this critical work."

"I'm encouraged by the work of APEN and other Asian American-led organizations that are taking an intersectional approach to dismantling systemic racism in order to achieve justice and equity in all forms, including climate justice," said Walton.

Climate Week NYC will take place from September 20-26, 2021. In response to Black Climate Week, Climate Week NYC invited The Solutions Project to be a core partner in making this year's event more inclusive of Black, brown, Indigenous and people of color, including frontline climate leaders like Miya Yoshitani.

"Asian and Pacific Islanders are at the forefront of the climate crisis, and we're excited to see The Solutions Project amplify these important voices during AAPI Climate Week," said Adam Lake, Head of Climate Week. "Their work is critical in moving towards a just and equitable future. Climate Week NYC 2021 is about Getting It Done; we look forward to working with The Solutions Project to continue elevating Black, Indigenous, and People of Color voices."

TED and Seventh Generation are also proud endorsers of The Solutions Project's climate week initiatives.

As part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Climate Week, The Solutions Project has posted reading recommendations for learning more about the AAPI community's contributions to the climate justice movement.

About The Solutions Project 
The Solutions Project is a national nonprofit organization that promotes climate justice through grantmaking and amplifying the stories of frontline community leaders in the media. The organization seeks to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy and equitable access to healthy air, water, and soils by supporting climate justice organizations, especially those led by women of color.

Media contact: Carina Daniels
[email protected] 
510-847-1617

SOURCE The Solutions Project

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