Reflecting on 2025: CDI's Annual Impact Report

At the Climate Democracy Initiative, 2025 was a year of building foundations—not just programs, but the trust, relationships, and local leadership capacity that make lasting climate progress possible.

Our 2025 Annual Impact Report captures the work of a growing team committed to one core belief: that addressing climate change requires not only technical solutions, but governance systems capable of navigating complexity, disagreement, and change.

This year, CDI directly engaged over 900 youth, educators, and community members across Colorado. Through the ECLIPSE program, more than 300 students and 40 educators from 15 communities attended statewide leadership summits, with many returning home to launch youth-led projects focused on sustainable food access, recycling systems, and habitat resilience. Over 300 educators reported increased confidence in supporting student-led climate action.

We also launched Community Visioning in Colorado—a proactive planning program designed to help rural and semi-rural communities shape their futures before major development proposals arrive. Early engagement reached seven Colorado counties, with four communities inviting CDI into deeper conversations about planning priorities and long-term resilience.

Beyond Colorado, CDI represented its mission at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Aspen Ideas Festival, submitted official EPA regulatory comments, and partnered with Harvard Law School to explore the future of democratic resilience.

Looking ahead to 2026, CDI will deepen its work in the Fraser River valley and San Luis Valley, expand the Community Visioning model toward eastern Utah and southern Wyoming, and move ECLIPSE toward full institutionalization through school district partnerships, CTE pathway bootcamps, and statewide youth advocacy infrastructure.

The work is steady, the partnerships are growing, and the communities leading it are real.

View the Full 2025 Impact Report →

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