GREEN UMBRELLA

Green Umbrella’s programs can work together to collaboratively and equitably raise the bar on systems change in our region as we support regional governments, non-governmental organizations, and businesses to significantly:
● Enhance regional coordination and center equity in climate action
● Reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions
● Implement adaptation strategies and improve environmental quality
● Build local capacity and regional resilience

Environmental Stewardship - We believe caring for the land, water, and air will enhance and restore our region for generations to come. We promote intentional stewardship across individual, organizational, and institutional levels.

Regional Collaboration - We trust in the power of the collective and recognize the need for cross-jurisdictional collaboration in climate efforts. Working regionally is critical and urgent—the climate crisis is borderless but coordinated action leads to proven results.

Community Wellbeing - We know that climate justice is health justice. As the climate continues to change, risks to environmental and public health will grow. We prioritize community wellbeing and acknowledge the social, cultural, economic, and environmental conditions that impact quality of life for all species in our region.

Equity & Justice - We recognize the historic and continued environmental injustices imposed on marginalized groups. We believe climate justice cannot be achieved until power structures are overhauled. We are committed to addressing the conditions that perpetuate harm and to advocating for repair.

In 2022, Green Umbrella launched the Greater Cincinnati Regional Climate Collaborative, a member
network designed to help local governments, their communities, and partners kickstart and
accelerate their equitable climate action process. The Collaborative is the main element of our
Climate Action work and serves as a climate-focused resource hub for public agencies and
community groups in our region to access opportunities for regional collaboration and
climate-related technical assistance. The Collaborative has significant strategic potential; our
organization plans to grow the model throughout 2023 from an element of our programmatic work
to an overarching, organization-wide framework to better support our members, partners, and
communities.

Green Umbrella currently has over 250 member organizations and over 30 district and city jurisdictions working together cross-sectorally.

Following are a few success indicators from 2022:

Total GHG kilograms CO2 reduced in GU’s work: 106,412 kg CO2 reduced

12k servings of local, seasonal food in school meals during a single week for the Local Menu Takeover during Farm-2-School October

10 New orchards installed, 143 New trees planted, 25 New orchard stewards trained & enrolled in ongoing training, 30 total orchards, 360 total trees in our Common Orchard Project

In 2021, the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Energy & Sustainability commissioned Green Umbrella to complete a benchmarking survey and analysis examining sustainability plans, ordinances, and initiatives that center equity in their recommendations and strategies. The report and matrix serve as an idea bank for regional governments and community-based organizations in Greater Cincinnati to move sustainability, resilience, and equity actions forward in their communities. The full report is publicly available on our website.