Message From the Chair
As the 2026 midterms draw closer, our most important climate action remains political action. If you haven't already, make sure you're registered and ready to vote at VoteFromAbroad.org. Every election matters, but these midterms will shape the future of climate policy, energy affordability, environmental protections, and democratic institutions for years to come.
I have to wonder why Democrats talk less about climate change now, when it is increasingly and obviously driving affordability challenges. Extreme weather is raising insurance costs, damaging infrastructure, disrupting food production, and contributing to higher prices at the grocery store. Clean energy is no longer just an environmental issue, it is an economic one.
The impact could not be clearer. Ohio’s blocking of wind and solar development has left residents paying the price through missed investment opportunities and higher energy costs. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has directed $700M toward "clean, beautiful coal" under “wartime authorities,” as if coal is needed to fuel war efforts (?!), while simultaneously opening thousands of hectares of public lands in Colorado to (for-profit) oil and gas development.
Yet, the Democrats haven’t totally abandoned this fight. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is advancing plans to ensure new data centers bring their own renewable energy resources online rather than straining existing grids. New York City's major clean energy transmission project is now delivering renewable electricity to millions of residents. These are examples of the practical, forward-looking solutions needed to meet rising energy demand while lowering emissions.
Internationally, leadership continues despite U.S. retrenchment. The European Union is expanding ocean monitoring efforts as the U.S. federal government steps back, and the United Nations recently advanced a landmark climate accountability resolution despite attempts to weaken or block it. Thankfully, governments around the world are recognizing that climate impacts do not pause for politics.
The urgency is growing. The United Nations is warning countries to prepare for heightened extreme heat risks associated with El Niño conditions and ongoing climate change. Understanding these evolving risks is essential for communities, economies, and public health. That is why I hope you'll join us for our June Climate Café, "El Niño + Climate Change: Reshaping Global Weather." Together we'll explore how these overlapping forces are influencing weather patterns, extreme events, and climate impacts around the globe. Details below.
Most importantly, stay engaged, stay informed, and make sure you're ready to vote. Climate progress depends on all of us showing up, not only in our communities, but at the ballot box.
In solidarity,
Dana Freling
Chair, Democrats Abroad Environment & Climate Crisis Council
Join us on Wednesday, June 24 at 11am ET/ 5pm CET for our June Climate Café, El Niño + Climate Change: Reshaping the World’s Weather. As we head into this 2026 summer season, we will explore the dangers of El Niño when combined with the unrelenting impact of human-induced climate change. Joining us will be DA’s own Meteorologist, Nicholas Kujula, to walk us through what this means scientifically and what we might expect going forward.
Register to vote for the 2026 midterms at votefromabroad.org!
Want to know where the country where you live ranks on emissions, clean energy and climate policy? Check out the map!
Contact your representatives — local, state, and federal, Democrat and Republican — so they know climate is a priority·
Every action matters, no matter how small. For inspiration and strategy, check out Democrats Abroad’s Resistance Roundtables — a blueprint for effective organizing. And be sure to subscribe to DA’s Take Action Newsletter.
Finally, consider volunteering with the ECCC. Whether you’re passionate about legislative tracking, social media or communications, your skills are needed. Contact us at [email protected].
👑 Hope is contagious and science is king: 10 big lessons on ending the fossil fuel era - The Guardian
🗳️ Confusing ballot wording may have tipped Ohio vote on renewables ban - Canary Media
⚖️ Climate lawsuit hints at how courts may treat AI - Politico
🏴☠️ Trump Funds Two New Coal Plants and Extends Another Dozen, Citing ‘Energy Dominance’ - Inside Climate News.org
🌋 As geothermal networks grow, so does the call for a new utility model - Canary Media
🌎 Global Panel on the documentary, The White House Effect
🌎February Climate Café – Environmental Justice in the Age of MAGA
🌎 November Climate Café – COP30 Roundup with Democrats Abroad
🌎 October Climate Café – Faith-based Decarbonization
🌎September Climate Café – Crisis for a Global Plastics Treaty
🌎 August Climate Café – Sustainable Energy Systems (the actually work!)
🌎 Democrats Abroad Facebook Live on Climate Emergency Day
🌎 Flipping Banks: Paths to Sustainable Finance – March Climate Café
🌎 Climate Implications of Project 2025 – July Climate Café