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While many focus on reinstating our pre-COVID way of life, The Alliance Center realizes there can be no return to “normal”. Instead, recovering from the pandemic provides us with an opportunity to tackle the generational issues we face, such as economic inequality, environmental injustice and the climate crisis. We can rebuild Colorado with a regenerative future in mind—a future with a robust local economy that meets human needs abundantly and equitably provides clean air, water, food and energy to all.

No single organization can do this alone, so we formed the Regenerative Recovery Coalition. The Coalition is a collaboration of nonprofits, businesses, academic institutions, government agencies and individuals boldly working together towards this future.

WHAT IS A REGENERATIVE RECOVERY?

A regenerative recovery will build a robust, localized economy that meets human needs abundantly and equitably provides clean water, air, energy and food. Participants of the Colorado Emergence Series—a series of six listening sessions that evolved into the Coalition—identified eight fundamentals for accomplishing such a recovery:

The global energy system is the prime driver of climate change. To solve the climate crisis, it is urgent that we transition to renewable energy production and use our energy more efficiently. Working with the state of Colorado, the Coalition’s goal is to decarbonize the state’s economy by 2030, considerably earlier than the 2050 date listed in the state documents.

COVID-19 made the fragile and inequitable nature of our food system transparent. Human health and environmental health are linked. State policies must promote regenerative farming styles and methods that restore health and vibrancy to the ecosystem. We must ensure that such methods have direct (or equal) market access.

The health impacts of COVID-19 are felt disproportionately by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. A regenerative economy is founded on a commitment to address and remove systemic barriers. It establishes the conditions to achieve shared prosperity and provides opportunities for all voices to be heard and participate in decision making.

Colorado is an entrepreneurial birthplace, known for creating niche markets like hemp and CBD that go on to lead the nation. The shift to clean technology, arts and culture, regenerative agriculture and the other job creation engines offers Colorado the chance to create a more inclusive, resilient life for all. In the wake of COVID-19, the state should invest in the industries of the future, not those of the past.

The presence of properly located and maintained roads, bridges, airports, rail lines, broadband, power grids, sanitation and buildings are critical to a healthy economy. Even more important is our natural infrastructure, including intact ecosystems that provide our life support systems (air to breathe, water to drink, fertile soil to grow our food and climate stability). These underpin all life and all economic activity.

A circular economy is based on reclaiming raw materials that were used to create products and returning them to usefulness, keeping them from being discarded. The Coalition will focus on creating jobs through supporting enterprises like recycling entrepreneurs and material end-markets in Colorado.

A regenerative recovery must protect and strengthen our democratic institutions, as well as revitalize active and inclusive civic engagement. Institutions have historically blocked access to BIPOC, resulting in systemic oppression. A regenerative recovery must prioritize access, voice and equitable opportunity to all communities, especially BIPOC communities.

Coalition members include representatives of for-profits, nonprofits, media, academia, state and local governments and individual citizens. The Coalition will seek partnerships and collaboration across diverse boundaries. Making it happen will also take creative approaches to funding and supporting these efforts.

HOW WE DRIVE ACTION

The Coalition embodies the foundational principles of a regenerative recovery as outlined in A Guide to a Regenerative Recovery. We drive action by working with key decision makers in Colorado, uplifting the voices of our members and implementing projects to accelerate the transformation to a regenerative society.

To get it done, we’ve partnered with some of the biggest names around, including leadership of both the Colorado House and Senate, all Coalition members and thought leaders from across the state.

WORKING GROUPS

Coalition members collaborate within the following four working groups:

The Climate Change and Energy Working Group is pushing for the reduction of emissions, a switch to renewable energy and a just transition for extraction communities and workforce.

This group is working on building and supporting a regenerative food system, which is a local, diversified, relational and holistic approach to feeding Colorado by replenishing lands, building healthy communities and supporting rural economies.

The Workforce Development Working Group is developing the backbone infrastructure for certificates, apprenticeships and more to get people back to work in clean energy and regenerative agriculture. Additionally, they are creating a statewide communications campaign to uplift skilled trades.

This working group is focusing on defining what it means to be a regenerative business based on the eight fundamentals of a regenerative recovery. They will create a quick assessment to determine where companies currently stand and what they can do to become more sustainable.

REGENERATIVE RECOVERY COALITION ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Spring of 2020

    Hosted the Colorado Emergence Series

    At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hosted the Colorado Emergence Series, a series of six listening sessions that convened 240 residents from across the state and various sectors. All participants were united by a common goal: rebuilding Colorado with a regenerative future in mind. 

  • Summer of 2020

    Produced A Guide to a Regenerative Recovery

    Out of the Colorado Emergence Series, we produced A Guide to a Regenerative Recovery, summarizing both big picture strategies and actionable solutions to a regenerative recovery. This guide has been widely distributed and used by key decision makers to develop recovery strategies. Throughout the summer and fall we engaged 75 members of the Polis Administration to set the stage for recovery efforts in 2021.

    READ A GUIDE TO A REGENERATIVE RECOVERY

    READ A SUMMARY TO THE GUIDE

    Summer of 2020

  • Fall of 2020

    Launched the Regenerative Recovery Coalition

    In fall of of 2020, we officially launched the Regenerative Recovery Coalition! In less than two years, it has grown to 370+ members, representing more than 28,000 Colorado jobs and $7.2 billion in annual revenue. 

    The Coalition hosts four working groups which meet once per month under volunteer leadership. Nearly 300 active members engage in the working groups. On average, Coalition members volunteer more than 240 hours per month.

    We also host one all-Coalition convening per quarter, connecting hundreds of change agents to regenerative principles and ways to drive action. Our past events have focused on regenerative policy, regenerative business, regenerative workforce and more.

    According to a member survey, 60% of people said the RRC helps them do their job better, 71% said the RRC helped them make new connections over the last year and 60% said the RRC helped strengthen existing connections.

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  • Spring of 2021

    2021 Legislative Session Wins

    The Regenerative Recovery Coalition influenced 20 new Colorado state laws in 2021! These laws helped direct more than $456 million in Colorado’s ARPA funding. In addition to this, in the 2021 legislative session:

    Speaker Garnett requested we develop a list of project recommendations to help direct state stimulus funds. Coalition members contributed more than 70 ideas.

    Governor Polis created a Cabinet level position to oversee recovery efforts, a suggestion from our work in 2020.

    Governor Polis launched a series of listening tours modeled after the Colorado Emergence Series. The Coalition was invited to attend, our members eagerly mobilizing to influence Colorado’s COVID-19 recovery strategy and narrative.

    READ THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE RECAP

    READ THE STIMULUS DISBURSEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

    Spring of 2021

  • Fall of 2021

    Developed Regenerative Projects Designed to Scale

    In the latter half of 2021, the Coalition developed four actionable projects to be implemented in 2022 and beyond. These projects will work towards equitable workforce development, a statewide soil health program, a just transition for oil and gas and a Regenerative Impact Assessment for businesses. Together, these projects tackle interconnected systems to advance a holistically regenerative future.

    Furthermore, in September of 2021, the state launched a Climate Corps—one of our very first recommendations from the Colorado Emergence Series! 

  • Winter of 2021

    Released Innovative, Crowdsourced Policy Platform

    Beginning in the summer of 2021, Coalition members shared their bold, transformational policy ideas with us for the creation of an innovative, crowdsourced policy platform. The Coalition ranked and refined these ideas throughout the year, officially releasing the policy platform in the winter of 2021 with a total of 58 policy recommendations. Following this release, Coalition members testified in numerous committees and worked with legislators to advance top priority ideas. We also hosted two advocacy boot camps to train more than 45 coalition members in effective advocacy.

    Additionally, by the end of 2021, we raised more than $400,000 to support the work of our members! 

    READ THE 2022 POLICY PLATFORM

    Winter of 2021

  • Winter of 2022

    Awarded Grant to Write Replication Playbook

    In February of 2022, the Coalition was awarded funding from the Hewlett Foundation to write a replication playbook and scale the coalition nationally over the years ahead. We began to build a network of national organizations, foundations and partners who are interested in replication and scale.

  • Spring of 2022

    2022 Legislative Session Wins

    The Coalition’s crowdsourced policy platform was influential in the creation of 24 new state laws during the 2022 legislative session! These laws will direct an additional $526 million in state funds towards regenerative values and projects over the next two years.

    READ THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE RECAP

    Spring of 2022

  • Spring of 2022

    Increased Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

    The Regenerative Recovery Coalition is committed to an inclusive society that celebrates diversity, reduces inequalities and creates systems in which everyone can thrive. Equity has been central to our work since the Coalition’s founding. The Colorado Emergence Series was intentionally designed to consider equity, and equity is one of the eight fundamentals to a regenerative recovery upon which all our work is modeled. In spring of 2022, we developed an eight-part series to center the Coalition’s work in equity and build a movement of upstanders. Since the Coalition’s launch, the racial diversity of membership has increased to 36%! Although we are proud of this fact, 36% is certainly not our end goal. We recognize that equity is forever work and we are committed to the journey.

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