From Bloomberg to the Sierra Club to Louisiana Activists
When most people think about climate activism, they imagine protests or debates in Washington. But Michael Bloomberg’s climate strategy focuses somewhere very different: state and local governments.
Through Bloomberg Philanthropies, more than $1 billion has been committed to climate campaigns designed to reshape America’s energy system.
One of the largest efforts is the “Beyond Carbon” campaign. Launched with a $500 million commitment in 2019 and expanded with another $500 million in 2023, the initiative focuses on shutting down fossil fuel power plants and preventing the construction of new energy infrastructure.
Instead of relying primarily on Congress, the campaign targets state legislatures, local governments, and regulatory commissions where decisions about energy projects are often made.
National environmental groups play a central role in executing this strategy.
Bloomberg’s foundation has provided more than $120 million to the Sierra Club alone, funding legal teams, lobbying efforts, and grassroots organizing campaigns across the country.
Those national groups often work alongside smaller local organizations.
In Louisiana, environmental campaigns against energy infrastructure frequently involve local activist groups such as Save My Louisiana and activists aligned with the LA CO₂ Alliance’s critics of carbon capture projects.
These local organizations often collaborate with national environmental nonprofits that provide research, messaging strategies, legal assistance, and funding for organizing campaigns.
The result is a powerful network that can mobilize public opposition to industrial development projects.
Supporters say these campaigns empower communities and protect the environment.
Critics argue that the system allows wealthy donors and national advocacy groups to exert enormous influence over local economic decisions in states like Louisiana.
For communities whose livelihoods depend on petrochemical manufacturing, energy production, and industrial investment, that outside influence could have real economic consequences.