On a sweltering July day, a determined group of volunteers marched a half-mile from the Eugene Sierra Club office to City Hall, their voices rising in unison with the chant, "Climate change is here to stay, and billionaires have got to pay!" They carried five banker’s boxes brimming with nearly 14,000 signatures, a testament to their collective effort to place the Eugene Clean Energy Fund on the upcoming November ballot. If approved by voters, this landmark initiative promises to generate millions of dollars dedicated to bolstering the city’s climate resilience and investing in sustainable initiatives.

The proposed measure would institute a mandatory 2% retail license tax on large corporate retailers, a strategy particularly relevant in Oregon, which notably lacks a statewide retail sales tax. This financial burden would be applied to companies exceeding $1 billion in national gross profit and $500,000 in local earnings, targeting major players like big-box retailers such as Walmart and Target, e-commerce giants including Amazon, and financial institutions like Chase and Wells Fargo. Proponents argue this approach ensures that corporations profiting immensely from local communities contribute directly to addressing the challenges they may exacerbate.

"In a country that has seen its first trillionaire, it is far past time to make ultra-wealthy corporations pay their fair share, so that our communities can become more livable and resilient," declared Aya Cockram, co-leader of the campaign and an organizer with the Breach Collective, addressing the crowd gathered outside City Hall. Her sentiment reflects a growing sentiment that large, multinational corporations should bear a greater responsibility for the environmental and social impacts of their operations, especially in the face of escalating climate change.

The Eugene Clean Energy Fund draws inspiration from a highly successful precedent set in Portland, where a similar 1% tax on large retailers, enacted in 2018, has generated over $1 billion. This funding has been instrumental in initiatives ranging from home retrofits and urban tree planting to the development of community solar projects. The city of Portland estimates that its most recent round of approved projects, initiated in 2025, will achieve a reduction of approximately 76,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, simultaneously enhancing air quality, lowering energy bills for residents, and expanding vital green spaces.

Advocates in Eugene are optimistic that this measure will provide the necessary financial impetus for the city to achieve its ambitious 2016 goal of reducing community emissions by 7.6% annually. Current data, however, indicates a more modest total reduction of only 10% between 2014 and 2021, according to city spokesperson Marion Suitor, underscoring the urgency and need for substantial new funding streams. The city’s sustainability office, which had planned to expand its capacity by hiring a third full-time staffer in 2026, saw the position eliminated due to budget constraints. Compounding these challenges, rising inflation and a decline in state and federal funding have created a projected annual budget gap of $5 million, according to the city’s financial analyst, highlighting the precarious financial situation Eugene faces and the critical need for innovative revenue generation.

"Any of these (climate) programs that we’re talking about, you can assume are not funded, or underfunded to the extreme right now," stated Dylan Plummer, a campaign adviser with the Oregon Sierra Club, emphasizing the dire financial straits of existing climate initiatives. This stark reality underscores the importance of the proposed Clean Energy Fund as a potential lifeline for essential environmental programs.

Under the proposed structure, 10% of the Eugene Clean Energy Fund’s revenue would be allocated to green infrastructure development, while up to 30% would support clean energy-related job training and apprenticeships, a provision that has garnered endorsements from several local labor unions. Joel Iboa, executive director of the Oregon Just Transition Alliance, a co-leader of the campaign, pointed to the recent approval of an Amazon distribution center in Eugene. He noted that while the facility is expected to create jobs, its delivery trucks will likely increase carbon emissions, and a significant portion of its revenue may not recirculate within the local economy. "This is money that real people have helped make, and what we are doing is getting a small portion of that back and reinvesting it in the communities that have made that wealth possible," Iboa explained, articulating the campaign’s core principle of reinvesting profits where they are generated.

The largest allocation, up to 60% of the fund, would be directed towards renewable energy and efficiency programs, with a mandate that half of these funds specifically benefit under-resourced communities. Emily Matlock, communications director for the local environmental justice organization Beyond Toxics, expressed hope that the fund would significantly expand their work in West Eugene. This area, characterized by a concentration of industrial pollution and low-income housing, often experiences poor indoor air quality due to diesel fumes and inadequate home insulation, leading to higher energy consumption for heating and cooling, especially during extreme weather events. The fund could enable Beyond Toxics to provide essential resources like air purifiers and air conditioners to more residents who cannot afford them.

In neighborhoods like Trainsong, where industrial activity and railroad tracks are prevalent, concerns about soil contamination add another layer of environmental injustice. Matlock highlighted that planned remediation efforts could inadvertently spread toxins into homes. The Clean Energy Fund could offer critical support to homeowners for insulation and window replacements, as well as the installation of energy-efficient heat pumps that also filter air, thus mitigating the long-term health impacts of legacy pollution. Furthermore, advocates envision the fund supporting innovative pilot projects, such as the development of resilience hubs offering vital resources and safe havens during extreme weather events, and even small-scale renewable energy generation. A modest 5% of the fund is earmarked for future innovation, opening the door for cutting-edge solutions. "The sky is really the limit, and there is an opportunity for us to be on the cutting edge of the transition to green energy, and ensuring that it’s done in a way that supports our front-line communities," Plummer added, underscoring the forward-looking nature of the initiative.

Organizers are mindful of the challenges faced by Portland’s Clean Energy Fund, despite its remarkable success. While initially projected to generate between $30 million and $60 million annually, the Portland fund has consistently brought in closer to $200 million per year, exceeding $1 billion cumulatively. This unexpected surplus has unfortunately led to proposals seeking to divert funds for non-climate-related purposes. In August, a contentious ballot initiative aimed at redirecting 25% of Portland’s Clean Energy Fund to the police department narrowly failed to gather sufficient signatures. This measure, backed by the Portland Police Association, sought to allocate millions to the department without specific climate-related stipulations. Cherice Bock, climate policy director at 350 PDX, a key organization involved in passing Portland’s fund, asserted, "This doesn’t have anything to do with climate change, and they’re not even pretending it does."

Adding to the complexity, Tom Dundon, the new billionaire owner of the Portland Trail Blazers, has indicated that the franchise’s future in the city depends on public funding for arena renovations. Mayor Keith Wilson has expressed willingness to consider using Clean Energy Fund dollars for the project, stating, "We’ll renovate green, cut carbon, and do it the Portland way." In mid-August, the City Council committed $120 million for the arena, with funding sources yet to be confirmed. Bock, however, questions the climate benefit of these renovations, noting that the Moda Center is already LEED-certified. She also cautions against the perception of a vast surplus of clean energy funds, citing a 2023 city analysis that estimated the cost of fully implementing Portland’s climate plan at $50 billion, far exceeding the fund’s current value.

Eugene’s Clean Energy Fund initiative officially qualified for the ballot on August 5th, a date starkly juxtaposed with the unfolding reality of the state’s most severe wildfire season on record. As smoke and smog choked the skies, residents experienced hazardous levels of particulate matter and ozone, with the local air quality index soaring to 187. This environmental crisis, exacerbated by extreme climate-driven drought and significant cuts to federal funding for agencies like the Forest Service and emergency firefighting assistance, has intensified the urgency of local climate action. Iboa views the ballot initiative as a beacon of hope amidst these dire circumstances, stating, "Ballot measures like this are a love letter to the community – folks saying, ‘If no one else will do this for us, we’re going to do it for us.’" This sentiment encapsulates the grassroots drive to take proactive steps towards a sustainable and resilient future, demonstrating a community’s commitment to self-determination in the face of systemic challenges.