Press coverage of the Rally, City Hall front steps Wednesday, Feb 25:
48hills: Protesters say 80 percent cut would imperil Climate Action Plan
Ifpte Local 21: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVM8-ipGFvC/?img_index=1
Local News Matters:https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/02/26/sf-environment-department-budget-cuts-rally/
Public Press: Mayor’s Recommended Budget Sparks Debate Over S.F. Climate Priorities
SFGate: sf-hundreds-rally-against-proposed-budget-cuts
Photos:
Lizzy Kramer: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f0K9WoevbO_h4Zjc1NdAozie8IpQS7JU?usp=drive_link. Please provide appropriate attribution.
Leon Kunstenaar, IndyBay: https://kunstena.smugmug.com/Politics-1/Demonstrations/2026-Demonstrations/2026-Feb-25-SF-Save-SF-Climate-Action-Plan Please provide appropriate attribution.
Luke Thibault, IFPTE Local 21: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10MhbX9tQ1JHSQfqn0fJC2vYjH1iLG4ql?usp=sharing. Please provide appropriate attribution.
48hills: Protesters say 80 percent cut would imperil Climate Action Plan
Ifpte Local 21: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVM8-ipGFvC/?img_index=1
Local News Matters:https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/02/26/sf-environment-department-budget-cuts-rally/
Public Press: Mayor’s Recommended Budget Sparks Debate Over S.F. Climate Priorities
SFGate: sf-hundreds-rally-against-proposed-budget-cuts
Photos:
Lizzy Kramer: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f0K9WoevbO_h4Zjc1NdAozie8IpQS7JU?usp=drive_link. Please provide appropriate attribution.
Leon Kunstenaar, IndyBay: https://kunstena.smugmug.com/Politics-1/Demonstrations/2026-Demonstrations/2026-Feb-25-SF-Save-SF-Climate-Action-Plan Please provide appropriate attribution.
Luke Thibault, IFPTE Local 21: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10MhbX9tQ1JHSQfqn0fJC2vYjH1iLG4ql?usp=sharing. Please provide appropriate attribution.
Demand strong climate action from elected leaders!
Politicians, including the mayor, claim they almost never hear climate concerns from constituents. But we know people do care strongly - they just don’t speak up that much. As a result, the local press, too, largely ignores the crisis.
The situation is urgent.
This year's initial City budget proposal mandates drastic cuts to SF Environment Department (SFE). SFE has already been forced to cut 3 full-time equivalent staff positions this fiscal year, with another 7.8 FTEs slated for elimination in July. With them goes the department's core climate capacity, years of expertise and most of its climate program staffing. At extreme risk:
• Climate action planning & performance oversight
• Building electrification (the Climate Equity Hub would vanish)
• Elimination of gas-fired landscaping equipment
• EV charging • Biodiversity
Also at risk are millions in future grants. Since 2022-23, General Fund support - though tiny! - of SF Environment Department has brought in $29 for every dollar invested.
Spending on SFE is leverage, not overhead.
During his campaign, the mayor wrote that "we need large scale public sector investments in climate infrastructure and electrification” and that he "will prioritize climate action not just in words, but in dollars and policy.” During his first year, he has ignored his own words. Of course we appreciate his support for public transit - essential to reducing emissions - but it's not enough on its own.
People expect San Francisco to lead - especially with the federal government hell-bent on destroying the climate - but on this all-encompassing issue we are going backwards. San Franciscans need to know what's really happening. Please come to the rally and show your commitment to local climate leadership. Bring your organization's banner if you have one! Find a flyer here.
In San Francisco, the buck stops with Mayor Lurie. We need to remind him.
Questions? Email [email protected] Learn more & RSVP to the rally here.
Politicians, including the mayor, claim they almost never hear climate concerns from constituents. But we know people do care strongly - they just don’t speak up that much. As a result, the local press, too, largely ignores the crisis.
The situation is urgent.
This year's initial City budget proposal mandates drastic cuts to SF Environment Department (SFE). SFE has already been forced to cut 3 full-time equivalent staff positions this fiscal year, with another 7.8 FTEs slated for elimination in July. With them goes the department's core climate capacity, years of expertise and most of its climate program staffing. At extreme risk:
• Climate action planning & performance oversight
• Building electrification (the Climate Equity Hub would vanish)
• Elimination of gas-fired landscaping equipment
• EV charging • Biodiversity
Also at risk are millions in future grants. Since 2022-23, General Fund support - though tiny! - of SF Environment Department has brought in $29 for every dollar invested.
Spending on SFE is leverage, not overhead.
During his campaign, the mayor wrote that "we need large scale public sector investments in climate infrastructure and electrification” and that he "will prioritize climate action not just in words, but in dollars and policy.” During his first year, he has ignored his own words. Of course we appreciate his support for public transit - essential to reducing emissions - but it's not enough on its own.
People expect San Francisco to lead - especially with the federal government hell-bent on destroying the climate - but on this all-encompassing issue we are going backwards. San Franciscans need to know what's really happening. Please come to the rally and show your commitment to local climate leadership. Bring your organization's banner if you have one! Find a flyer here.
In San Francisco, the buck stops with Mayor Lurie. We need to remind him.
Questions? Email [email protected] Learn more & RSVP to the rally here.
