In June 2021, IMT’s Community Engagement (CE) team began developing a framework to guide our approach to meaningful engagement with frontline communities in the pursuit of a just and equitable low-carbon future. The original framework was developed through months of research, internal dialogue, and collaboration with frontline community partners who offered their insights and critiques. It was built around three guiding goals: Transform, Balance, and Close Gaps. It also outlined foundational values, tactics, and objectives for embedding justice into energy policy development.
Five years later, we have updated the framework to reflect how we have applied the framework, how it has grown, and where it needs to go. In this update, we’re moving beyond theoretical commitments and naming the real shifts we’ve made—and where we’re still learning. We’ve integrated this framework into place-based projects, pilot programs, and internal decision-making. It has informed our grantmaking approach, our conversations with cities, and our efforts to introduce tools like Community Accountability Boards (CABs) and emerging models of participatory climate governance.
