Community Engagement

The Latest

From Transaction to Trust: A Framework for Community Engagement

According to the Pew Research Center, only 17% of Americans say they trust the federal government to do what is right. That is one of the lowest reported numbers in nearly seventy years. It is not surprising that communities which have historically been excluded from policymaking, are wary of participating now in climate action. 17% … Continued

2026 Community Engagement Framework

IMT’s 2026 Community Engagement Framework includes guidance on how to effectively engage frontline communities in equitable decarbonization policymaking.

Why Equitable Building Policy Matters in St. Louis

2025 was a rough year for frontline communities advocating for Environmental Justice (EJ). Federal EJ funding was slashed, and local governments centering EJ principles were strained due to political uncertainty. Consequently, community-based organizations (CBOs) advocating for community-informed decision-making faced governmental staff with limited capacity and funding. Despite this landscape, equitable decarbonization was still front and … Continued

How to Center Community Priorities in a Building Performance Standard

While many organizations, governments, communities, businesses, foundations are all chipping away at climate change from different angles, the planet is still warming and more immediate challenges around affordability and health divert attention from the urgency around climate. How can we as a society do better? By bringing more people into climate action! Some of the … Continued

SoCal Fires and Generational Resilience: A 5th Gen Chicana’s Reflection

Taping up my 93 year old grandma’s windows with duct tape and reposting mask mutual aid efforts was not on my 2025 bingo card. But here we are, another wildfire, another scramble to limit smoke inhalation, and another time I wonder if it was always this hard to live in Southern California. The land is … Continued