Washington Conservation Voters (WCV) ensures Washington’s decision makers keep our environment protected, healthy, and vibrant. Over the last 35 years, we have elected environmental champions, held our elected leaders to the highest standard, and built statewide momentum for environmental campaigns through innovative voter outreach efforts and community organizing. Through our work, WCV is committed to making sure all people in Washington state have a healthy environment and a strong, sustainable economy.
Winning elections for the environment
Each year, Washington Conservation Voters supports pro-environment candidates during election season. Since 2012, we’ve put thousands of volunteers on the ground in key districts and elected 80% of our endorsed environmental champions, including the greenest governor in the nation – Jay Inslee. By defeating polluter-backed candidates and electing environmental champions, WCV works to ensure that smart decisions are made on local and statewide issues from oil terminal proposals to Puget Sound protection.
Learn more about WCV’s endorsements ›
At Washington Conservation Voters we know that who steps up to run for office makes a big difference. We recognize that there are real and perceived barriers to running for office and we know that it’s our responsibility to help reduce these barriers and provide the extra support needed to elect true environmental champions to office. Starting in 2018, we launched I CAN, a candidate recruitment and development program and every year we will recruit and support a cohort of candidates in key geographical areas.
Providing strategy and focus for Washington’s environmental community
Advocating for strong environmental protections
Each year, we help convene over twenty environmental organizations that make up the Environmental Priorities Coalition and provide strategic guidance to select a focused agenda of up to four legislative priorities. Working together with our many partners in the community, we have achieved significant victories during legislative session to reduce global warming pollution, clean up Puget Sound, and ban toxic chemicals to protect our children’s health. View the Past Priorities Report to learn more about the Coalition’s successes. With our electoral experience, knowledge of Olympia politics, and key relationships, Washington Conservation Voters is able to provide tactical input that helps ensure success for the Priorities. And when WCV advances these Priorities, legislators listen.
Learn more about the Environmental Priorities Coalition ›
Fighting for a clean energy economy and against the fossil fuels of the past
Washington state has a unique chance to lead on climate action and fight back against the fossil fuel industry’s grip on elected officials. We’re stakeholders in a multi-year West Coast campaign to advance climate and clean energy policies and founding members of the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy, Washington’s strongest coalition for local action to reduce global warming pollution and strengthen local economies.
Simultaneously, the Pacific is at the epicenter of a fight over how long the fossil fuel era will persist in this nation. Unless we act now, the amount of oil moving through our region by rail will surpass the volume of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline—nearly 300 million barrels a year. Washington Conservation Voters has teamed with several advocacy groups in Oregon and Washington as part of the Stand Up To Oil campaign to respond to Big Oil’s efforts to turn the Pacific Northwest into a hub for the transportation of crude oil as well as being a member of Power Past Coal to prevent more coal export through our state.
Holding elected leaders accountable
We serve as watchdog for Washington’s environment. We hold elected officials accountable in real time for their votes and actions 365 days a year. When one of our elected leaders does something good or bad, we aim to let their constituents, the media, and other legislators know.
Accountability isn’t just about bringing attention to bad behavior; it also means standing with champions who consistently stand up for the environment. That’s why we release our Legislative Scorecard that grades legislator’s votes on environmental bills and gives Washington voters the information they need to retain and elect environmental champions to our legislature.