Building the Table When It Matters Most
When the federal administration changed in 2025, Just Solutions didn’t scramble. It was ready.
The organization had spent the second half of 2024 running scenario planning exercises to map out what a hostile federal landscape could look like and what the climate justice field would need in response. When that scenario arrived, Just Solutions had already developed the guidance and relationships to move quickly.
The centerpiece of that response was an effort convened and facilitated by Just Solutions, ClimateMAX, a brand new convening table that brings together national organizations working at the intersection of climate justice, civil rights, housing, consumer protection, and immigration. These groups operate in all 50 states across rural, urban, Indigenous, Black and other communities of color.
“Organizations and individuals are expressing a desire to move beyond defensive fights where the interests of billionaires and corporations are shored up and prioritized. They see this moment as an opportunity to drive and elevate foundational solutions to economic, social, and racial injustice,” said Aiko Schaefer, Just Solutions’ Executive Director.
Days after the presidential inauguration, ClimateMAX published a detailed analysis drawing on the insights of more than 70 leading thinkers and practitioners that outlined what communities could expect from the new administration and how state and local leaders could advance and defend climate justice. From there, the table moved into coordinated strategy: aligned positions, shared intelligence, and collective response.
“Organizations and individuals are expressing a desire to move beyond defensive fights where the interests of billionaires and corporations are shored up and prioritized. They see this moment as an opportunity to drive and elevate foundational solutions to economic, social, and racial injustice.”
Aiko Schaefer, Just Solutions’ Executive Director
With federal protections eroding, Just Solutions also doubled down on state-level work, convening policy, legal, and leadership staff from statewide climate justice coalitions to strategize both defensive and proactive pathways. The organization produced analyses of federal rollback impacts, built libraries of state-level solutions, and conducted relevant research. It also delivered extensive training through webinars, podcasts, and its training institute. The Just Solutions podcast now reaches listeners in all 50 states and nearly 40 countries, elevating community leaders and experts who are doing the work on the ground.
None of this happened by accident. Just Solutions has been building this infrastructure since its founding in early 2021, investing in research, policy analysis, strategic communications, and convening capacity so the field would have what it needed when the pressure came. The bet was that collective power, built in advance and guided by community priorities, would hold when it mattered most.
“Collective power is crucial in challenging circumstances, now more than ever. Climate touches everyone in different ways, yet mainstream solutions often do not do enough to center people. To build a powerful movement, we have to educate and engage people, especially those disenchanted or marginalized by politics, working with groups that are strong organizers and networked institutions, and most importantly, led by the community,” said Schaefer.
In 2025, it held. And now the work is about making sure it grows—state by state, coalition by coalition—into something durable enough to go on offense.
“Collective power is crucial in challenging circumstances, now more than ever. Climate touches everyone in different ways, yet mainstream solutions often do not do enough to center people. To build a powerful movement, we have to educate and engage people, especially those disenchanted or marginalized by politics, working with groups that are strong organizers and networked institutions, and most importantly, led by the community.”
Aiko Schaefer, Just Solutions’ Executive Director
