Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus joined EDF Action and Latino Victory Project to address substantial energy burden borne by Hispanic communities in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, DC, November 20, 2025 – Hispanic voters showed up big in the off-year elections on November 4, with gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey winning over two-thirds of the Latino vote. On the eve of these elections across the U.S., a Unidos US poll showed 64 percent of Latino voters disapproving of President Trump’s job performance, with cost of living among the top concerns.A new report from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and Latino Victory (LVF) uses the robust database provided by EDF’s online tool, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) and overlays real-world impacts being faced by Hispanic communities, especially an outsized energy burden vs. the average household. The organizations announced the report alongside members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to help decision-makers identify the actions on costs and climate the communities they’re part of need most. The report is available in English and Spanish.
The economic, health, and environmental impacts of a changing climate are a fact of life in Hispanic communities across the U.S. Yet, every community can organize to confront this vulnerability – building more efficient housing, introducing a health clinic that doubles as a disaster hub, developing a jobs program to help more people earn a regular paycheck – to guard against needless suffering and weather the storms better.
“The election results of November 4 put an exclamation point on what Hispanic communities have been saying all year: Energy costs are too high, we’re in an affordability crisis and our wallets can no longer bear the strain being imposed by an out-of-touch Trump administration and Republicans in Congress,” said Katharine Pichardo, president and CEO of Latino Victory Project. “The hard-working members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus today reinforced what our new joint report shows: Hispanic communities are more vulnerable than most due to climate change and face an outsized energy burden vs. the average U.S. household. An AP-NORC survey released in October finds Hispanic adults feeling greater financial stress than Americans overall and unsurprisingly, their approval of President Trump has been sliced nearly in half since the start of his second term. Representation matters as does electing leaders who will meet the needs of the Hispanic community. Knowledge is power, and people are power, and with this report, we’re empowering leaders to best meet the needs of communities that are truly in need.”
“I commend the Latino Victory Project and EDF Action for this comprehensive report analyzing climate injustice and vulnerability impacting Latino communities,” said U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). “We have long witnessed the disproportionate impact our communities face across the nation, ranging from higher energy costs, housing affordability, equitable access to transportation and so much more. Today’s report highlights these challenges and provides a path forward for our legislative action and solutions to ensure a more equitable climate future for all.”
“In Texas 29, especially in East Houston and along the Ship Channel, families live with flooding, bad air, and pollution every single day,” said U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX). “None of this is new to the people I represent. They feel it in their homes, their health, and their wallets. What the Climate Vulnerability Index does is put numbers behind what our community has been experiencing for years. When we have clear data, we can fight harder for stronger flood protections, cleaner air, and real investments that finally make life safer and healthier for all the neighborhoods I represent.”
“Some folks seem to think that protecting our environment inherently means hurting our economy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth – and today’s report on the CVI makes that crystal clear,” said U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM). “By investing in public infrastructure, clean energy, and disaster preparedness, we can help protect Latino communities like mine in New Mexico from skyrocketing utility bills, polluted air, and a degraded quality of life as the climate rapidly changes.”
“From higher utility bills to being on the front lines of climate change, I know all too well the economic burdens that our Latino communities suffer, but those burdens have never deterred us,” said Congresswoman Nellie Pou (NJ-09). “Today our communities face great challenges. On top of those challenges, climate change is making things worse. Communities across America are paying more and getting less. By investing in green jobs and energy, we ensure every American has a fair shot all while expanding opportunities and investing in our communities. Congress has a responsibility to improve quality of life and ensure no community is left behind.”
“Latino and Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change – facing higher temperatures, longer droughts, and rising costs every year,” said U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ). “That’s why tools like the CVI are so important. They help us understand how climate change is affecting our neighborhoods – from higher energy bills to threats to clean air and safe water.”
“A new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings has 51% of Latinos saying their economic situation has worsened this year,” said David Kieve, president of EDF Action. “Behind these numbers are people facing a greater burden than the average U.S. household. The data we’ve accessed from the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) makes the pain points in Hispanic communities more real, something that’s not lost on the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who are on the ground working toward solutions for their constituents. EDF has long leaned into science, economics and technology in the interest of good public policy and with this report, the CVI harnesses those pillars for the greater good. It’s no surprise that this data is in sync with how Latinos voted on November 4 – the electorate spoke with one voice around its dissatisfaction with the dysfunction coming from Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration, neither of which appears willing to listen to its constituents.”
“The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) harnesses the power of data to pinpoint climate vulnerability across the U.S. and help provide a roadmap for solutions that will help those who need it most,” said Lauren Johnson, manager, climate justice solutions, at Environmental Defense Fund. “The online tool is available to anyone and is as broad as it is deep, seizing on vulnerabilities as basic as the quality of housing stock or the level of tree canopy or the proximity to a clinic to make clear that climate vulnerability comes in many forms and they all contribute to a quality of life that can surely be made better. We invite elected officials as well as community members and other stakeholders to use the tool in the interest of dialogue and solutions that are needed now more than ever.”