Zachary Norris

Zachary Norris is Greenpeace USA’s California Climate Director. Before joining Greenpeace, he worked over two decades advancing racial, economic, and gender justice in California via changes to the criminal legal system. As the former executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Zach helped build California’s first statewide network for families of incarcerated youth, which led to the closing of California's state-run youth prisons, legislation enabling families to stay in contact with their loved ones, and the defeat of Prop 6—an ineffective criminal justice ballot measure.

Norris co-founded Restore Oakland, a community advocacy and training center empowering Bay Area community members to transform local economic and justice systems. He is also the co-founder of Justice for Families, a national alliance of family-driven organizations working to end youth incarceration. He authored Defund Fear: Safety Without Policing, Prisons, and Punishment, which Forbes, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, and Kirkus Reviews have praised. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other major outlets. Now focusing on climate and environmental justice, Zach's commitment to equity for all continues to drive his work.