Democracy and Climate Are Inextricably Linked

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A strong, participatory democracy is vital to protecting people and the planet. Yet, our nation’s electoral institutions and processes are under attack by corporate and polluting interests that benefit from the suppression of voting rights and the weakening of our voting systems. Our democracy also faces serious systemic challenges, including gerrymandering, money in politics, and a U.S. Supreme Court that has been captured by far-right extremists who are rolling back bedrock protections and fundamental rights.

LCV staff member speaks at podium during a Freedom to Vote Act press conference outside the Capitol building
Photo credit: John Nelson via Declaration for American Democracy

The weakening of our voting rights and democratic institutions is a national crisis. That’s why LCV’s democracy work is more important than ever.

Below, we answer questions we often get about our democracy work, why it matters, and how you can be part of ensuring a strong democracy for all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does an environmental organization work on democracy issues?

At LCV, we know that a truly representative democracy — one where all voices are heard and where decisions are made through a fair and transparent process — is essential for protecting our planet for future generations.

To address the climate crisis, voters must be able to have their voices heard at the ballot box, to freely and fairly elect leaders, and to rely on fair courts to protect their rights. Who can vote, how easy it is to register, and the number of local polling places are all examples of policies that decide whether or not people can truly have a say in their democracy.

To this end, LCV:

  • Advocates for stronger laws and policies to protect and expand voting rights.
  • Organizes for pro-democracy ballot initiatives.
  • Supports pro-democracy, pro-environment judicial nominees.
  • Mobilizes to defend against anti-voter attacks, including voter suppression, intimidation, and disinformation.

Why is LCV elevating democracy now?

LCV and our 30+ state affiliates have been involved in democracy reform and voting rights work for more than a decade. In 2021, as part of crafting our four-year strategic plans, our organizations made a decision to significantly expand our democracy-related work. LCV released a four-year strategic plan that, for the first time, formally elevated our commitment to strengthening our nation’s democracy to a standalone organizational goal.

Our choice to expand our democracy programs was intentional. The 2020 election, the violent January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the aftermath of both have dramatically underscored the urgency of safeguarding democracy, protecting voting rights, building a trusted judiciary, and ensuring our collective ability to hold elected officials accountable to the people.

In 2021, in reaction to unprecedented voter turnout in 2020 — especially by voters of color — more than 400 bills were introduced in state legislatures with the intent to make it harder for people to register and vote. Right-wing politicians successfully enacted anti-voter laws in 19 states that year. Since then, even more states have enacted restrictive voting laws, as well as laws that make it easier for partisan actors to interfere with elections. With the reelection of Donald Trump, we anticipate attempts at even more restrictive voting laws federally and more baseless attempts to criminalize voters from historically underrepresented communities.

In response, LCV and our 30+ state affiliates have developed a coordinated 10-year plan to execute comprehensive programs to pass and protect pro-democracy reforms, defend against voter suppression, and close the racial participation gap between communities of color and White voters. Our plan aims to ensure that all voters have easy, equitable access to the ballot box, regardless of one’s race, zip code, or income.

Additionally, extreme right-wing judges are dismantling environmental protections and the power of government agencies to regulate corporate polluters. U.S. Supreme Court decisions that rewrite environmental law and weaken the executive branch’s ability to address problems such as climate change, air and water pollution, and environmental injustice — in decisions such as Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Ohio v. EPA in 2024, Sackett v. EPA in 2023, and West Virginia v. EPA in 2022 — could lead to damage to our environment that lasts for generations.

In response, LCV has aggressively pushed for court reforms, including expanding and rebalancing the Supreme Court and legislation to strengthen judicial ethics. Our rights to clean air and clean water, and to equal justice and equal votes, depend on healthy institutions led by ethical public servants who have earned the people’s trust.

Why do your democracy programs center voters of color?

Threats to democracy, like threats to the environment, are not evenly distributed. Voters and potential voters in communities of color and immigrant communities often face obstacles and systemically racist barriers that result in low voter turnout, partisan and racial gerrymandering, failure to serve voters in their languages, delays in receiving accurate information, and disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

For example, on average, Black and Latine voters spend around 45 minutes more waiting in lines to vote than White voters. Additionally, since the right-wing majority on the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key provision in the Voting Rights Act when it decided Shelby v. Holder in 2013, states — many with a history of racial voting discrimination — have enacted nearly 100 laws that restrict voting rights.

Many of these recent state-level voting restrictions and anti-voter laws are in states where communities of color tipped the scales in the 2020 election. One example is in Georgia, where it is illegal to hand out water or food to voters who must often wait in long lines — sometimes for hours — to vote.

At the same time, studies show that people of color bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms. But for far too long, voter suppression, partisan and racial gerrymandering, and polluter and fossil fuel money have drowned out the voices of the people directly experiencing the health impacts of pollution and the dangers of extreme weather in their communities.

In order to secure an equitable climate future and a healthy environment for all people, we must ensure that all voices are heard in the democratic process.

To help amplify the voices of those who have been routinely excluded from the political process, LCV makes a special commitment to work in collaboration with the communities most impacted by democracy inequities and injustices: Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and other communities of color, young people, and immigrant communities.

What do LCV’s democracy programs focus on?

With the stakes higher than ever before, LCV is working to build a robust, inclusive democracy and to combat systemically racist barriers to the ballot box through programs that protect and strengthen people’s freedom to vote.

Here’s what LCV and our 30+ state affiliates — collectively, the Conservation Voters Movement (CVM) — are focused on:

  • Voting Rights

    We advocate for policies that:

    • Strengthen voting rights at the federal, state, and local levels.
    • Protect against discriminatory state and local voting laws.
    • Increase access to voting through same-day and automatic registration, restoration of voting rights for incarcerated people, and expanded vote-by-mail and early voting.

    Additionally, the CVM fights back against voter suppression by organizing to pass state versions of the Voting Rights Act.

  • Democracy Reforms

    We advocate and organize for policies that:

    • Restore transparency and accountability in government.
    • Remove or reduce corporate money from elections.
    • Improve and protect voters’ ability to take action through citizen-led ballot measures.

    We also call out and push back against racist gerrymandering that purposefully silences the communities most impacted by environmental injustices, pollution, and the climate crisis.

  • A Judiciary We Can Trust

    LCV plays a lead role in the environmental coalition’s engagement with judicial nominations and policy. Through lobbying, public education, organizing constituent calls to U.S. senators, media engagement, and grassroots advocacy, we:

    • Advocate for highly qualified pro-environment, pro-democracy judicial nominees who bring personal and professional diversity to the bench.
    • Educate policymakers, journalists, activist leaders, and the public about the critical importance of the courts and their impact on environmental issues.
    • Work to restore balance and ethics to a U.S. Supreme Court that has been captured by polluters and their extremist allies.
  • Representative Leadership

    LCV works to make our nation’s elected leadership more reflective of our country by diversifying the candidate pool and ensuring potential candidates are set up for success. We do this by:

    • Recruiting environmental champions to run for local and state office.
    • Conducting candidate training that is welcoming and inclusive to people who have been systematically excluded from leadership roles, including candidates of color, young people, LGBTQ+ people, and women.
    • Providing future leaders with tools and resources to effectively represent their communities.​​

What can I do to help LCV protect & strengthen democracy?

The corporations and other special interests that benefit from the destruction of our environment are the same ones that benefit from dismantling democracy and taking away power from people. Strengthening our nation’s democracy and people’s freedom to choose their representation is critical to securing climate progress that will ensure a livable planet.

So, what can you do personally to help protect and strengthen our nation’s democracy?

Make a gift to LCV to help strengthen our democracy. Our ability to execute our plans relies on the generosity of supporters like you. Donate today to help us succeed in our efforts to build a healthier, safer, more just climate future for all, protected by a strong democracy.

Not able to donate right now? You can also support LCV’s work by adding your name to one of our online actions.

Support the League of Conservation Voters in building power for people and the planet