Climate Justice Campaign
At AIM, we’re working to protect our climate and our communities’ health through our climate justice campaign.
Beyond Gas Maryland
AIM is a member of the “Beyond Gas” campaign to improve low-income housing while addressing our climate crisis by moving off of fossil fuels to sustainable energy. The Beyond Gas Maryland coalition includes AIM, PATH (People Acting Together in Howard), Interfaith Power & Light, and Sierra Club. Read more about the coalition here.
In November 2024, the Beyond Gas coalition published a report based on our NO2 testing work, showing that over 50% of homes in Maryland had unhealthy levels of NO2 gas. Read the report here.
Past Actions & Victories
Statewide Action for a Just Democracy: Nov 17, 2024
At our Statewide Action with 729 people, we asked our state legislators to commit to working with us to pass the ReNEW Act in 2025. This act would generate more funds for clean energy upgrades by imposing a one-time fee on the largest polluters in Maryland.
Thanks to our organizing, the EmPOWER Act of 2024 passed in Maryland! This act will make sure that most of the $350-million-per-year EmPOWER fund goes towards helping households and low-income apartment buildings make energy efficiency and electrification upgrades. It will help protect our families’ health and the climate by reducing indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Statewide Advocacy Day: Feb 21st, 2024
On February 21 in Annapolis, nearly 100 of us from AIM, PATH, ACT, and Interfaith Power & Light met with our State Senators and Delegates to support EmPOWER reform as well as affordable housing legislation.
Healthy Homes Statewide Action: Dec 5, 2023
We held a 400-person action with AIM, PATH, Interfaith Power & Light, and Sierra Club, to highlight climate issues. We urged the Maryland Energy Administration and our state senators & delegates to prioritize energy efficiency upgrades for households, especially low-income households.
NO2 Testing
AIM’s NO2 testing team goes door-to-door in local apartment complexes and measures the levels of NO2 gas in residents’ homes. This gas, which comes from burning methane “natural” gas in stoves and other appliances, causes respiratory illness and harms childrens’ brain development. Shockingly, well over half of the apartments we tested had NO2 levels considered dangerous by the EPA after stoves had been on for 20 minutes. Residents also have mold growing in their homes due to poor ventilation and insulation.
Our NO2 testers educate residents about how to reduce levels of harmful gas through ventilation, and are a catalyst for organizing for policies promoting cleaner energy and healthier, more efficient homes.
Our team won the “Climate Solutions for Congregations” award in 2024 and has been featured in the press for their work. Read a Maryland Matters article about the team here.
EmPOWER Legislation
The Maryland EmPOWER legislation we helped pass in 2024 will provide funding for residents and apartment buildings to switch to efficient electric appliances and weatherize their homes with better insulation. This will improve families’ health, reduce utility bills, and protect our climate. Read more here.
Get Involved
To get involved in our statewide climate work, contact Cynthia Marshall: cynthia@actioninmontgomery.org.