As Minnesotans, we have long believed that tackling climate change and helping the disenfranchised go hand in hand.
That’s why it’s so important to be clear-eyed about which policies move us closer to that goal and which risk setting it back.
Across the country, policymakers are increasingly focusing on ensuring that climate policy lowers costs. They understand that progress only works if people can afford it. At a time when families are still feeling the strain of high grocery, housing and energy prices, affordability shouldn’t be considered a distraction from climate action. It should be central to making it succeed.
Related: Minnesota cities continue climate action plans, despite federal abdication
Here in Minnesota, that question has been front and center as lawmakers considered proposals for a climate superfund. The idea is to assess the costs associated with climate change and require energy companies that supply Minnesotans with fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas to pay an equivalent fine.
According to one outlet, this legislation “would calculate damages caused by greenhouse gas emissions and send a bill to the world’s largest polluters for their share.”
The intent of the bill, which stalled in the 2026 legislative session, is good, and its sponsors have a record of working on behalf of minority communities. But this legislation may have unintended consequences that they should consider before moving forward in the future.
The climate superfund bill would allot 40% of the funding attained from polluter fines to disadvantaged communities, which sounds promising. But too often decisions over allotment are controlled by the state rather than influenced by our communities, making it less likely the money will end up where it’s supposed to go.
Too often, state-directed initiatives end up prioritizing well-heeled municipal projects over the same marginalized they claim to protect. This isn’t environmental justice, and it’s a major concern with the superfund legislation.
A climate superfund could also cost the state millions in legal bills. Similar laws in Vermont and New York are being challenged in court, including by the Department of Justice, various industry groups, and at least 24 other states.
While continuing to invest in renewable energy must remain a priority, the reality is that many of Minnesota’s minority communities still utilize traditional, more affordable energy sources in addition to these, and while they support the promotion of renewable energy, they don’t see a problem with using fossil fuels where needed either.
These Minnesotans, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet, shouldn’t have to pay even more. But that is what will occur if this superfund is enacted.
This is because, if energy companies have to pay a new operating cost, that additional charge will be passed along to Minnesota families. The cost of heating your home — to say nothing of so many other goods that rely on energy to be manufactured and shipped — will become even more expensive.
The climate superfund legislation means well, but its likely unintended consequences mean there are better ways to hold the powerful to account and realize true justice.
Related: A Superfund site in Minnesota is spreading, disrupting a tribe’s way of life
None of this means Minnesota should pull back from climate leadership. It just means that the state should prioritize solutions that are both environmentally effective and economically sustainable, pursuing strategies that reduce emissions without placing undue burdens on families. The investments we continue to make in lower-cost clean energy and grid modernization and reliability are perfect examples of solutions that work.
We don’t have to choose between protecting the climate and protecting marginalized Minnesotans. The best solutions will do both — lowering emissions while making life more affordable for everyone.
That is the path Minnesota should lead on.
Taycier Elhindi is a social justice activist and speaker who serves as president and co-leader of visual Black Justice Minneapolis. She works in partnership with Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN), a civil rights and social justice nonprofit.
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