Hammond Climate Solutions was founded by Tara and Justin Hammond a year ago to help expedite positive change for a just and livable future, and we’re excited to share the strides we’ve made towards our mission during a time that humbled us all.  

Before jumping in, we’d like to acknowledge our talented colleagues Shelah Ott (Climate Justice Advocate) and Karinna Gonzalez (Climate Justice Policy Advisor), who joined the team during our first year.  Their sincere passion and dedication have truly bolstered Hammond Climate Solutions’ impact.   

“When I joined the team six months ago, I knew it would be much more than a job, but I didn’t realize the full extent of the impact we would be making as a small (yet mighty) team. Reflecting on our journey and all of the accomplishments we have made in our advocacy, program management and partnership building, I can confidently say that there is nowhere else I’d rather be. Every step of the way, I have been encouraged and motivated to show up for the climate, for communities traditionally marginalized, and for my team. Working at Hammond Climate Solutions has helped me build skills and perspectives that not only support the creation of a just and livable future, but support self-sustainability, too.” 

- Shelah Ott, Climate Justice Advocate 

“As I join Hammond Climate Solutions at our year one mark, I am filled with gratitude to be joining a team who has already accomplished so much. Looking forward, I am excited to contribute to our amazing portfolio of projects, while advocating for climate policies that create a just and equitable clean energy future.” 

-Karinna Gonzalez, Climate Justice Policy Advisor 

Our work, which is centered on stopping the climate crisis and advancing climate justice, is categorized into three main areas of expertise - climate project management, policy and advocacy.  Below are highlights by category.  

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‍Our Climate Project Management Impact 

During our first year in business we were proudly involved in 341 solar projects, resulting in 186 megawatts of new solar power systems being built across 35 states and Puerto Rico.  This solar capacity is equivalent to more than half a million solar panels, which are now energizing communities with clean energy, improving local air quality, stimulating the local economy and supporting green jobs.  

On behalf of our client Left Coast Fund, Hammond Climate Solutions manages the Solar Moonshot Program, an initiative with an annual budget of $1 million and a mission to help nonprofits afford the switch to solar and reduce the impacts of the climate crisis. 

Last year we worked with 57 nonprofit organizations across the country to help make their solar dreams a reality, and have enabled them to save money that can be reinvested into their missions.  The nonprofits ranged from eco villages to Indigineous resilience organizations, youth homeless shelters, Black women-owned organizations, schools and places of worship.  We have another $1 million budget for Solar Moonshot grants in 2021, which will help fund renewable energy projects for an estimated 40 nonprofit organizations across the nation.   

A handful of Solar Moonshot Program grant recipients have been in our home town of San Diego, including Activist San Diego, Solidarity Farm, Casa de Amparo and University Christian Church.  University Christian Church, home to the San Diego Climate Hub, which we have the pleasure of managing, awarded Hammond Climate Solutions with its “2020 Community Partner of the Year Award.”  This was our first award, and will always be dear to our hearts.

In addition to the Solar Moonshot Program, Hammond Climate Solutions also manages two electric bike “ride off” programs, one for Business for Good San Diego and another for Climate Action Campaign.  With these programs, participants are loaned an e-bike, and for every mile ridden $1 dollar is deducted from the bike loan. The goal of the programs is to ride off the entire loan and replace dirty vehicle miles travelled with human-powered, emission-free transportation.  Hammond Climate Solutions is also a partner of San Diego County’s Pedal Ahead Program, for which we facilitated the procurement of 400 e-bikes through our client’s donations. 

Hammond Climate Solutions was also hired by a local foundation to help secure public funding and get electric vehicle (EV) charging stations installed at nonprofit organizations that support traditionally underrepresented and underfunded communities (especially in respect to green infrastructure).  So far we’ve already secured $42,000 in California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (CAleVIP) rebates, which paired with the foundation’s grants, is providing a nonprofit organization free EV charging stations for their community.  

Our Climate Policy Impact: 

Hammond Climate Solutions proudly signed on to over a dozen coalition letters to elected officials and government bodies, helping to shape policies relating to building energy efficiency standards, clean transportation, climate action plans and energy franchise agreements.  We participated in over 1,150 meetings with elected officials, coalitions and activists discussing climate policies and priorities.  We also started a coalition to protect rooftop solar in California, which plays a vital role in moving to a zero carbon future. 

Our Climate Advocacy Impact: 

Hammond Climate Solutions is a proud member of 15 nonprofit organizations, and active members of 10 coalitions.  Our team is pleased to serve in various leadership roles including:

• Chair, California Solar+Storage Association, San Diego  
• Vice Chair, San Diego Community Power Community Advisory Committee 
• Steering Committee Member, San Diego Green New Deal Alliance
• Executive Committee Member, Surfrider San Diego
• Board Member, Climate Defenders Action Fund
• Board President, GRID Alternatives San Diego 
• Steering Committee Co-chair, San Diego Building Electrification Coalition
• Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Development Chair, San Diego Green New Deal Alliance

We helped organize three Climate Hub events, which reached folks from across the country, and attended multiple socially-distanced, outdoor press conferences (and even multiple car caravans) related to energy franchise agreements and workers rights.

We’re a member of 1% for the Planet, whose members pledge to donate one percent of their earnings to nonprofit organizations working to stop the climate crisis.  We’re delighted to announce that Hammond Climate Solutions’ contributions far surpassed the pledge requirement. 

Lastly, our CEO Tara Hammond completed the Climate Reality Project Leadership Training, and has been sharing the scientific knowledge she gained to educate others.  

So what does this year have in store for Hammond Climate Solutions? 

We are going to take the momentum we’ve gained and continue fighting for the greater good!  We will be growing our climate project management, policy and advocacy efforts to drive more change. 

With the help of our network and communities, we look forward to accomplishing our main policy objectives of:

• Getting a strong rooftop solar agreement at the California Public Utilities Commission while fighting off anti-solar legislation, allowing solar to grow sustainably, helping support green jobs while reducing CO2 emissions.  
• Pushing for reach codes that would require new buildings to be all electric, lowering costs of construction while eliminating new, unnecessary gas infrastructure, which poses significant health and climate risks.   
• Advocating that the City of San Diego gets better, short-term gas and electric franchise agreements that support the climate, equity and a plan to accelerate the transition off of fossil fuels.  
• Updating Climate Action Plans with progressive policies, such as zero carbon, to help address the climate crisis at a faster pace, while prioritizing communities of concern, who are first and foremost impacted by climate injustices.
• Supporting legislation that would create regional climate authorities across California 
• Voicing support for the San Diego County Zero Carbon Sustainability Plan 
• Advocating for policies that prioritize communities of concern in climate efforts across the country

We are excited for the second year of the Solar Moonshot Program, and will continue managing the Business for Good and Climate Action Campaign e-bike ride off programs while staying connected with the Pedal Ahead program. 

As far as new initiatives, we are working with a coalition to help bring an e-bike ride off program to residents in multi-family affordable housing complexes. We’re helping a local foundation that’s supporting lower interest EV loans for people in communities of concern. We’re expanding our reach to assist solar companies in tracking policies and being more engaged in protecting the solar and storage industry. We’ve committed to helping a global leader in energy storage with a Corporate Social Responsibility project. 

We’ll continue to advocate for good climate and equity programs that counter the climate crisis, including initiatives through our local community choice energy program, San Diego Community Power (our CEO advocated for community choice energy in San Diego County for nearly a decade, and we are thrilled to finally see San Diego Community Power officially launch this month).  

Last but certainly not least is our pursuit of helping to establish pilot programs to show proof of concept, and help lay the foundation for big public initiatives.  We welcome your creative ideas for climate programs and incentives, and look forward to helping you implement them.  

Stay updated on our efforts by following us on social media. We can be found using @HammondClimateSolutions on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and @DynamicActions on Twitter. 

To learn more about Hammond Climate Solutions, please explore the rest of our site!

If you’re scrambling for last-minute holiday gifts (like some of us), it can be tempting to give in to Amazon Prime delivery and the holiday deals at big businesses, throw the likely unethically and unsustainably made items in a gift bag, and call it a day. But with economic losses resulting from the pandemic, and continued impacts of climate injustices,it is even more important to shop ethically and sustainably this year.

With transportation accounting for 28 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by economic sector in 2018, and an increase in package deliveries around the holidays, shopping at local, small-owned businesses with sustainably made or second hand gifts is one of the best ways to resist climate change and stimulate the local economy. If you choose to leave your house for holiday shopping, walking or biking to a small owned business is encouraged. In particular, we’re considering how we can best support small businesses owned by Black folks, Indigenous friends and People of Color. If there’s one thing we took from 2020, it’s that our actions are needed to continue showing up for racial and environmental justice.

With the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, shopping in person is not considered the safest option for folks. Many small businesses have gotten creative with local delivery and if you have friends or family who will be shopping in person this year, consider reaching out to them to arrange no-contact drop offs from your favorite local shops. If neither of those options are working out, consider getting gifts delivered to your loved ones from small businesses local to them, so you can save on emissions from shipping presents to them from where you are. In these uncertain times, we’re reminded that the health of our communities and the health of the planet are interdependent. Regardless of whether or not you’re leaving your house to get gifts, there are so many other ways to celebrate sustainably this holiday season--and for good reason. The EPA estimates that the American household waste increases by more than 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day for an estimated additional one million tons of wasted food, shopping bags and gift wrap per week! Along with buying items that are ethically and sustainably made, here are additional tips for a more conscious holiday celebration this year:

1) Say no to plastic and paper bags when buying presents

• This one may be a little harder while reusable bags are not allowed in some stores, but many stores will allow you to bring them in as long as you bag your items yourself.

2) Rethink gift wrapping

• If you don’t have gift wrap or bags leftover from previous years, instead of buying new ones, you can opt to use newspaper, reusable bags, reusable gift wrap (for a gift that really keeps on giving!), any leftover shopping bags or just skip the wrapping altogether! If you’re sending packages yourself, consider looking on websites like OfferUp, Buy Nothing or Nextdoor for free shipping boxes.

3) Aim for little to no food waste

• In San Diego, we typically throw away 40 percent of food, which is higher than the national average. Instead of contributing to that already staggering number, we can be proactive about food waste this year and prevent an increase in methane emissions from adding to over overflowing landfills. We can do this by preparing “just enough” rather than way too much, distributing leftovers to friends, family and houseless folks, freezing leftovers we’re likely to eat and composting the scraps we don’t use while cooking.

4) Get creative for gift giving

• Do-It-Yourself (DIY) gifts are even more popular this year as we’re spending most of our time at home. Think outside the box for a meaningful, hand-made gift that uses household items. Need inspiration? Pinterest always has great DIY ideas!

5) Gift intentional quality time to your quarantine partners

• If you’re quarantining with someone you want to spend quality time with, like a friend or significant other, consider planning a thoughtful hangout or date at a COVID-safe place like your home or a park that isn’t crowded. Make it special with energy efficient LED string lights, games, plant-based and locally sourced food (if accessible) and holiday-themed sweaters and music!

6) Gift a donation on behalf of a loved one

• A great alternative to buying people more things they likely don’t need is donating to a nonprofit organization on behalf of the person receiving the gift. You can even symbolically adopt an animal through the World Wildlife Fund, and the funds go towards programs to help conserve and protect that species.

7) And for last minute gift ideas…

• We suggest gifting items that will help reduce your loved ones’ environmental impact. Consider giving a durable reusable water bottle or coffee cup, reusable paper towels, reusable storage containers to replace ziploc bags, or reusable straws. Local zero waste stores are becoming increasingly popular, so if you can buy these items from a local, small business, that is even better!

Thanks for caring and reading this post. Individual actions add up and can make an impact reducing carbon emissions contributing to the climate crisis. Happy holidays! 

New Year's resolutions likely will look different this year, if they haven’t been written off entirely as we grapple with the heavy effects of the continued pandemic. The past year has shown us how important it is to take time to decompress and make space for productivity being less of a priority during a global pandemic that has rippled effects in public health, physically, mentally and emotionally. While this is still the case now, entering a new year is a great time to set intentions and think about the year ahead. 

We’re thinking about the ways we can be sustainable in 2021 that are also sustainable in the midst of the pandemic. Here are our favorites if you, too, need some inspiration to combat the climate crisis this year:

• Transition to a low-waste lifestyle: in order to make wasteless habits sustainable for yourself, it’s suggested to take baby steps. Rather than phasing out all single-use items in your house, start with one area, like the kitchen. Replace paper towels with reusable ones like these, or see if you have any unused cotton clothing you can use as an even lower-waste and economic alternative. You can go to zero waste shops, like Earthwell Refill in San Diego, a black-owned zero waste refill store to refill household products instead of buying a new container when the product is done. The Buy Nothing Project has local Facebook groups where you can give away items you no longer need and also request items you need, helping reduce waste while getting to know your neighbors. 

• Meatless Monday: meat farms greatly contribute to climate change through methane production and cause other environmental problems through runoff pollution and desertification from grazing. If going vegan or vegetarian is too ambitious for you, consider reducing your meat and dairy intake for one day a week, and increasing it to more days out of the week as the year progresses. Forks Over Knives has great plant-based resources and recipes along with San Diegan vegan food blogger, Alexa Fueled Naturally. 

• Cut emissions by biking, walking or taking public transportation: while we’re not getting out much during quarantine, it still makes a difference to opt for biking, walking or taking public transportation instead of driving for local trips, if possible.

• Spend time with soil: connecting with nature is an easy way to reduce stress, take a break from the sedentary lifestyle (that most of us experience) and see the nourishing, symbiotic relationship that’s possible between the earth and us humans. Stand on the grass to “ground” and rebalance your body, or plant seeds to grow your own low-cost, local, sustainable foods.

• Embrace the activist within: each of us has the ability to be an activist in our own way. Find what you like most so it’s sustainable; it may look like speaking during public comment at a city council meeting, volunteering at a local climate organization, or signing onto letters and petitions.

• Find sustainable eating options: When you’re tired of cooking, especially during the pandemic, restaurants  can use support. When you want to order food, opt for local, small businesses that try to integrate organic foods and sustainability into their operations. No one business is perfect, but many are trying to make a difference, like SOULMUCH, with their mission to reduce food waste by rescuing unused grains and turning them into cookies. You can look for Surfrider’s Ocean-Friendly Restaurant certification. 

We hope that you are able to enter 2021 with some renewed hope, inspiration and motivation despite the year we are leaving behind. And if not, self-care is likely the most important priority. After all, we cannot fight the climate crisis and strive for sustainability if we ourselves are not taken care of.