Staying true to our values in uncertain times

As leaders of Environmental Initiative, we know that uncertainty is an inevitable part of our work. Whether navigating policy shifts, economic fluctuations, or societal changes, we are often called to make difficult decisions in the face of the unknown. In these moments, our values serve as our north star, guiding us toward choices that align with our mission of building partnerships to advance environmental, economic, and social outcomes.

Now, more than ever, we are reminded that staying true to our values requires courage and intentionality. It means embracing complexity, listening deeply, and making decisions to prioritize long-term impact over short-term convenience. It also means acknowledging the discomfort of uncertainty and leaning into it rather than avoiding it.

At Environmental Initiative, we ground our work in collaboration, innovation, and equity. These principles help us focus on our ultimate goal: creating a just and thriving world for all. When faced with uncertainty, we ask ourselves:

• Are we meaningfully engaging people from most impacted communities*, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations?
• Are we fostering partnerships that lead to measurable environmental outcomes and/or sustainable, systemic change?
• Are we challenging ourselves to think and act differently rather than defaulting to the familiar or comfortable?

By consistently revisiting these questions, we ensure our decisions reflect our current state and our future goals. We are happy to join our voices with many others who are in solidarity with the most impacted among us and who work for systemic change. At the same time we know that we advance environmental health and social equity in a way that is uniquely our own.

Environmental Initiative’s power and impact comes through relationships and bridging across differences. We recognize that this runs counter to the growing forces that drive us apart and make us less likely to listen to or work with those who are different from us. We recognize that differences in politics, identity, and worldview feel increasingly unbridgeable in these times. We recognize that reaching across the divide can feel unwise or even dangerous. The core purpose of our organization is to fight separation and to reverse division, and that work is most needed precisely when it is hardest to do.

Our commitment to engage people from most impacted communities does not mean that we are willing to marginalize others. We will continue to convene conversations, form partnerships, and lead environmental projects that include people from most impacted communities working side-by-side with those in business, government, and nonprofits. We are doing the same work we have always done as an organization, but including those who should have been at the table all along. In response to growing divides, we will continue to build trust and find common ground. In this way, our aim is not to center one group over others, but to create shared spaces for conversation, relationship-building, and problem solving where all are recognized as valued and interconnected.

These commitments have never been more critical. Addressing challenges like air pollution, regenerative agriculture, and environmental justice require bold, values-driven leadership. We remain steadfast in our belief that, by adhering to our mission and principles, we can navigate uncertainty with integrity and purpose.

As we move forward, we invite you—our partners, supporters, and community members—to join us. Let’s continue challenging ourselves, asking hard questions, refusing to accept polarization, and working together to pursue solutions that reflect our shared values.

In partnership and solidarity,

Halston Sleets
Board Chair, Environmental Initiative

Mike Harley
Executive Director, Environmental Initiative

*Environmental Initiative defines “most-impacted communities” as individuals and communities who are underrepresented in and disproportionately impacted by the systems and decisions that affect their lives and health.