Kristen Soares (she/they) is a climate policy practitioner who facilitates partnerships among state leaders and community organizations to accelerate equitable climate solutions. As the State Climate Policy Network manager at Climate XChange, Soares leads a 15,000+ member network of advocates, policymakers, and researchers to advance proven climate policy in all 50 states. She earned her degree in environmental science from UCLA, where she co-led initiatives to reimagine the environmental justice curriculum. Soares has worked across nonprofit organizations, universities, and public institutions to drive climate solutions that reflect lived experience.
This interview took place Nov 6th, 2024, and has been edited for content and clarity.
RD: Could you describe your role with the State Climate Policy Network?
Soares: I act as the State Climate Policy Network manager at Climate XChange, a national nonprofit focused on advancing state-level climate policy. We have two national programs: one is the State Climate Policy Dashboard, an online database that tracks over 65 types of state climate policies across all 50 states and seven major sectors, and the other is the State Climate Policy Network, which I manage.
My work involves facilitating cross-state collaboration among people working on related policy issues. We host virtual discussions, publish biweekly policy updates, and organize deep-dive webinars that highlight lessons learned and best practices from states implementing strong climate policies. We also offer pro bono policy assistance; members can reach out with specific challenges, and we’ll connect them with the right expertise, either from our in-house team or through partners. Often, that means linking advocates in one state to advocates in another who have tackled a similar problem. I like to say, “Someone, somewhere has done what you’re trying to do,” and my job is to help make that connection happen.
RD: How have you approached bringing diverse stakeholders together to collaborate on climate solutions?
Soares: Within states, climate policy actors are generally well connected. Many environmental and climate movements grow out of grassroots organizing, which naturally build strong networks across communities. On the government side, though, it’s a bit different. State agency officials are often more connected to organizations that already have the capacity and resources to apply for funding or engage in policymaking. In a research project we did last year interviewing agency staff across the country, several people mentioned that the communities most in need of climate funding often can’t access it because they don’t have the staff to track opportunities, the expertise to write grants, or the ability to front costs before reimbursement. So those government agencies end up working with better-resourced groups.
We see strong regional collaboration in places like the Gulf South, where states coordinate around shared industrial challenges, or in the Midwest and interior West, where conservation groups unite around protecting natural resources. It’s less common for states far apart geographically to connect on similar policy issues, so a big part of our role is helping identify similar challenges and magnifying successful solutions across neighboring states.
RD: Have you seen examples of legislators using insights from Climate XChange to inform their own state-level climate work?
Soares: Many states have written commitments to equity and serving frontline communities, but fewer have the structural or financial support to make that real. As a result, states have often relied on our experience when designing their environmental justice frameworks. We offer training to help them understand what sustainable environmental justice infrastructure looks like. These include how to establish dedicated offices, create advisory boards or coordinator positions, and secure ongoing funding. Efforts to advance or implement environmental justice initiatives are supported by our Climate Policy Dashboard, which provides access to similar models from across the country to build upon. We try to “democratize data,” so members can strengthen their campaigns and design better, evidence-based climate policies without always needing to come directly to us.
One ongoing example is related to extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy–essentially, laws that hold manufacturers responsible for the lifecycle of their commodities, like plastics and packaging. Climate XChange supported a Louisiana legislator by connecting them with two organizations that provided legislation drafting expertise to address producer accountability for the collection, recycling, and end-of-life management of their products.
RD: Can you share any recent or particularly exciting updates on state-level climate policy progress?
Soares: One of the most exciting developments has been the wave of state-level climate bonds passing across the country. For instance, here in California, voters just approved a $10 billion bond dedicated entirely to climate, environmental, and resiliency projects. Similar ballot initiatives passed in several other states. Citizen-led ballot measures like these are powerful tools that allow voters to directly support climate action and shape their state’s priorities, and are especially useful in places that don’t already have strong climate policy.
We’re also seeing a big uptick in transmission-focused climate policy at the state level. Transmission is the infrastructure that moves electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s used. It is a critical but often overlooked part of the clean energy transition. The U.S. needs to double its transmission capacity to meet future demand and clean energy goals, and state governments are stepping up. For example, Colorado passed legislation requiring its electric utilities to implement long-term transmission planning that accounts for grid reliability, emissions reductions, and energy demand. All these things are intertwined with long-term climate progress, ensuring that we, with all our lofty, lovely clean energy goals, can actually deliver clean energy to the communities that need it. So that's something that's gaining a lot of traction, and we're going to be doing a lot of work to try and mobilize mainstream climate actors to get more involved in transmission work.
More states are enacting laws that require a holistic review of environmental impacts when approving new projects: looking not just at one facility’s emissions, but at the combined burden on communities already facing pollution. This shift shows how seriously states are starting to center equity and justice in climate work. As someone with a background in climate equity, it’s incredible to see mainstream climate actors recognize that equitable policy is effective policy. You can’t achieve lasting progress without including all communities.
Even amid discouraging federal election results, I think it’s important to remember that cities and states remain the engines of climate innovation. Cities like Bozeman, Montana, for instance, are advancing strong climate measures even when their state hasn’t. Many benefits from federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act are also being felt across politically diverse states. Advancements such as clean energy jobs, lower energy costs, and renewable infrastructure are expanding everywhere, regardless of political leanings.
RD: For people who want to get involved in climate action, what are some of the most effective ways to get started?
Soares: Anyone can join our State Climate Policy Network for free at climate-xchange.org/network. Members receive biweekly policy updates, event invitations, and access to educational resources. We intentionally design our content to be accessible for people who are new to climate work or interested in understanding how different issues connect.
It’s also important to remember that climate work is interdisciplinary. You don’t have to join an environmental organization specifically to make a difference. Groups working on public health, water quality, education, or housing are often doing work that supports climate goals. For example, parents’ groups advocating for lead-free schools or faith-based organizations in the Southeast mobilizing around environmental justice, are deeply involved in climate-related work even if they don’t label it that way.If you’re not sure where to begin, you can also contact us at the State Climate Policy Network. We can help connect you with organizations in your state that are advancing climate policy.
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