Environmental Initiative

CATALYZE COLLABORATION ACROSS PERSPECTIVES, POWER, AND SYSTEMS FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND ENVR. HEALTH.

CLEAN AIR MINNESOTA: CLEAN AIR MINNESOTA IS A DIVERSE COALITION OF AIR QUALITY LEADERS CONVENED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE WORKING TOGETHER TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM MOBILE SOURCES, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WOOD SMOKE. PARTNERS FORM TEAMS THAT COORDINATE, COLLABORATE, AND DEVELOP SPECIFIC PROJECTS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM MINNESOTA'S SMALLER, WIDESPREAD AND LESS REGULATED SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION WHICH CONTRIBUTE NEARLY 75 PERCENT OF AIR POLLUTION EMISSIONS IN THE STATE.THE ORGANIZATION'S CLEAN AIR WORK INCLUDES: PROJECT GREEN FLEET WHICH REDUCES DIESEL EMISSIONS, PROJECT CAR WHICH PROVIDES AUTOMOBILE REPAIRS FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, PROJECT STOVE SWAP THAT REDUCES EMISSIONS FROM WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES, AND CLEAN AIR ASSISTANCE PROJECT WHICH WORKS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH COALITION: A BUSINESS-LED PARTNERSHIP WITH NEARLY 20 BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS ADMINISTERED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE HARNESSING MEMBER EXPERTISE TO ADVANCE THE NEXT FRONTIER OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY - THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY. DETERMINING PROJECTS THAT MOVE TOWARD A CIRCULAR ECONOMY, THE COALITION MEMBERS EVALUATE OPTIONS THROUGH STAKEHOLDER, ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL WELLNESS, AND LIFE-CYCLE LENSES. COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS ADVANCE CLEAN ENERGY, CONVERT ORGANIC WASTE INTO VALUABLE RESOURCES, AND PROTECT OR RESTORE THE NATURAL WATER CYCLE WITH AN EVER-GROWING EQUITY FRAMEWORK.HEADWATERS AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS A UNIQUE COLLABORATION OF PARTNERS IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA ACCELERATING THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FARMER-LED SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF FARMERS, AND VITALITY OF RURAL COMMUNITIES. CONVENED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE, THE PARTNERSHIP OFFERS INNOVATIONS TO ACCELERATE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY FOR WATER QUALITY, SOIL HEALTH, HABITAT, AND CLIMATE PROTECTION. ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE MANAGES OTHER PARTNERSHIPS ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. SOURCE WATER PROTECTION COLLABORATIVE - A MINNESOTA-BASED STATEWIDE INITIATIVE, THE SOURCE WATER PROTECTION COLLABORATIVE BRINGS TOGETHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN SOURCE WATER, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, OR PUBLIC HEALTH TO DEVELOP WAYS TO PROMOTE LAND USE WHICH PROTECTS DRINKING WATER SOURCES. ONE ACTIVITY OF THE COLLABORATIVE HAS BEEN A CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT PILOT THAT HAS WORKED WITH AN ARTIST TO EDUCATE AND MOBILIZE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA.NORTHSIDE SAFETY NET - THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE INTERNSHIP WITH NORTHSIDE SAFETY NET (NEIGHBORHOODS EMPOWERING TEENS) IS AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR NORTH MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH. THE PROGRAM IS LED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE AND HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS. THE INNOVATIVE PROGRAM MODEL PLACES INTERNS AT THE CENTER OF A ROBUST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT DESIGNED TO SUPPORT CONSISTENT, LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH AND BETWEEN YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND PROGRAM PARTNERS. ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE AWARDS THIS IS OUR ANNUAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM CELEBRATING PEOPLE AND PROJECTS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP AT THE NEXUS OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY, AND AN EQUITABLE SOCIETY. WE BRING TOGETHER PARTNERS FROM ACROSS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY AND OUR ORGANIZATIONAL WORK TO HONOR AWARD RECIPIENTS DURING AN INSPIRING EVENT OF CELEBRATION AND NETWORKING.

MIDWEST ROW CROP COLLABORATIVE: ADMINISTERED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE, THE MIDWEST ROW CROP COLLABORATIVE EXPLORES AND IMPLEMENTS NEW APPROACHES TO AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGES. THE COLLABORATIVE'S MEMBERS WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY WHILE ENSURING SOIL HEALTH, PROTECTING WATER, ADDRESSING THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND SUPPORTING FARM FAMILIES IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN.

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND COMMUNITY GRANTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT- ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE AND RAINBOW RESEARCH CONVENE A WORKING GROUP OF BIPOC AND RURAL LEADERS AND MAINSTREAM ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CREATION OF AN APPROXIMATELY $25 MILLION PER YEAR COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND. THE WORKING GROUP COLLABORATES WITH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO DESIGN THE COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM AND COORDINATES OUTREACH TO THE BIPOC AND RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO THE PROGRAM ONCE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE. THROUGH OTHER PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE IS WORKING WITHIN ITSELF AND ACROSS DIFFERENCE TO FACILITATE OPENNESS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES BETWEEN DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS AND WORKING TOWARDS SOCIAL EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FOR ALL.