A Year in Review: VCN’s 2023 Annual Report
Thanks to highly coordinated efforts and despite political headwinds, VCN — in our role as the strategic facilitator of our 150+ Network Partners — was successful in holding onto major environmental and climate policy successes from the last few years while celebrating historic investments in conservation funding through the budget.
Our Annual Report reviews Virginia Conservation Network’s work from Spring 2022 to Winter 2023. While it feels almost impossible to cover everything we worked on last year in only a few pages, we did our best to squeeze in the highlights, including:
- our strategy to advance conservation initiatives year-round,
- our policy gains and challenges through the General Assembly session and beyond,
- our Network Partner engagement events,
- and more.
As we sent this annual report to the printer, we learned of the tragic loss of our Clean Energy & Climate Justice Policy Manager, Shawn Soares, on May 4th, 2023. Shawn was committed to devoting his career to bettering the Commonwealth and was a rising star in the climate movement. We are dedicating this annual report to him and are committed to working in his honor moving forward.
Read more of our recent updates from our blog:
User Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act
BlueGreen Alliance released a user guide to help understand the structure of the Inflation Reduction Act, including its funding, mechanisms, and labor, equity, and justice provisions.
10 Key Findings for Modern, Equitable Transit
Our public transit systems are severely underfunded, leaving many Virginians with few or unsafe options for moving around their communities without a car.
Clean Water & Flood Resiliency Policy Challenges and Recommendations for Virginia
Watch the Clean Water & Flood Resiliency educational webinar, featuring our briefing book authors and their policy papers.
How Virginia Can Reduce Plastic Pollution
Eradicating plastic pollution is a top priority for many Virginians. Two proven solutions: increased producer responsibility and bottle bills.
Farmers Can Help Protect Our Waters
We need full funding for the Virginia Agricultural Cost Share Program (VACS) to help farmers implement practices to reduce pollution while enhancing farm productivity and boosting the farmer’s bottom line. VACS reduces pollution from farming, improves the Commonwealth’s natural resources, and amplifies the agricultural economy.
ROUNDUP: Virginia Energy Plan
Virginia Conservation Network and our partners called on the Governor to use this plan to continue to map out Virginia’s clean energy future and meet our goal to be carbon-free by 2050. Instead, Youngkin’s plan seeks to undermine the Virginia Clean Economy Act, repeal our Clean Car Standards, and invest in unproven technologies.