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"Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys:

The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and

Equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

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Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all persons, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, policies and activities and with respect to the distribution of environmental benefits.

Environmental justice works to address this by ensuring access and inclusion for people at every level of the planning and decision-making process, and equal protection from environmental and health hazards. This also includes implementing policies designed to close the gap on these environmental health disparities.

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Addressing Climate and Environmental Justice Concerns

For far too long, communities with a majority of low-income residents and people of color - often those with the least amount of power and contribution to environmental degradation - have experienced a disproportionate share of poor environmental outcomes.

To identify and address Climate and Environmental Justice concerns in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into legislation Local Law 60 and Local Law 64 in 2017 to codify environmental justice into the City's decision-making process.

Environmental Justice Legislation

Local Law 60 requires that a citywide study of environmental justice be conducted and the results of the study, also known as the Environmental Justice for All Report, be made available to the public and placed on the City's website. The law also requires the creation of an online environmental justice portal with access to a mapping tool for environmental justice data.

Local Law 64 requires the establishment of an Advisory Board composed of environmental justice advocates, academics, and public health experts to work with the City on developing a comprehensive citywide environmental justice plan. In addition, City agencies must work with the Advisory Board to develop plans to address environmental injustices in communities of color and low-income communities in consultation with the impacted communities.

Environmental Justice and Climate Justice

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all persons, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, policies and activities and with respect to the distribution of environmental benefits.

Environmental justice works to address this by ensuring access and inclusion for people at every level of the planning and decision-making process, and equal protection from environmental and health hazards. This also includes implementing policies designed to close the gap on these environmental health disparities.

Climate justice is the recognition that it is these same historically overburdened communities that are most vulnerable to a rapidly changing climate. Disparities that are persistent in our society, from social, to economic and health inequities, can be exacerbated by impacts of climate change like extreme heat, flooding, and catastrophic weather events. The pursuit of climate justice also means holding those with the most responsibility for the climate crisis accountable.

This philosophy is based on a set of foundational principles developed by organizations with decades of experience fighting for climate and environmental justice worldwide and here in New York City.

Read more about the history of the environmental justice movement

Advisory Board Members

Chair: Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Rebecca Bratspies, Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law

Shoshanah Brown, Founder and CEO, AIRnyc

Marco Carrion, Executive Director, El Puente

Dr. Luz Claudio, Professor of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai

Costa Constantinides, CEO, Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens

Omar Freilla, Environmental Justice Organizer and Bronx Resident

Diana Hernandez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Anhthu Hoang, New York City Resident

Albert Huang, Senior Attorney, Urban Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

Tina Johnson, Lifelong NYCHA Resident and Community Activist

Morgan Monaco, Executive Director, Red Hook Initiative

Beryl Thurman, Founder/Executive Director, North Shore Waterfront Conservancy of Staten Island

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For far too long, communities with a majority of low-income residents and people of color - often those with the least amount of power and contribution to environmental degradation - have experienced a disproportionate share of poor environmental outcomes.

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Environmental justice means the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

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State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General

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Every Californian should have the opportunity to live in a community that is healthy and safe. This is especially true for low-income communities and communities of color, who suffer disproportionate exposure to pollution and the corresponding health impacts from that exposure. In order to help protect community health and well-being, on February 22, 2018, Attorney General Becerra established the Bureau of Environmental Justice, and, on April 28, 2021, Attorney General Bonta announced the expansion of the Bureau. Today, the Bureau is comprised of 12 attorneys who are solely focused on fighting environmental injustices throughout the state of California and giving a voice to frontline communities who are all too often under-resourced and overburdened.

The Bureau of Environmental Justice

The Bureau of Environmental Justice's mission is to protect people and communities that endure a disproportionate share of environmental pollution and public health hazards.

Under state law: "[E]nvironmental justice" means the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. (Gov. Code, § 65040.12, subd. (e)).

Fairness in this context means that the benefits of a healthy environment should be available to everyone, and the burdens of pollution should not be borne by sensitive populations or communities that already are experiencing its adverse effects.

Attorney General Bonta believes in the importance of dedicating attorneys and resources to fighting environmental injustices. A first-of-its-kind bureau in a state attorney general's office, the Bureau of Environmental Justice focuses on:

Ensuring compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and land use planning laws;

Penalizing and preventing illegal discharge to air and water from facilities located in communities already burdened disproportionately with pollution;

Eliminating or reducing exposure to lead and other toxins in the environment and consumer products;

Remediating contaminated drinking water; and

Challenging the Federal Government's actions that inadequately protect public health and environmental protections.

If you have information to share regarding environmental justice issues in your community, please reach out to ej@doj.ca.gov.

Those tools include the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

CEQA requires government agencies in California to consider potentially significant environmental impacts on communities already burdened with pollution when reviewing and permitting new projects. The Attorney General is particularly concerned that land use planning and permitting decisions consider and address any additional burdens on environmental justice communities. For example, in July 2021, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit against the City of Fontana challenging its approval of a large warehouse project in a low-income neighborhood that already suffers from some of the highest pollution levels in all of California.

Similar to CEQA, NEPA requires federal agencies to comprehensively evaluate the impacts of their actions on the environment and public health. In January 2022, the Attorney General filed a petition for rehearing en banc" before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in litigation challenging a large airport expansion project in San Bernardino, California. The area near the San Bernardino airport is home to low-income communities and communities of color who already suffer disproportionately from air pollution-related illnesses such as asthma and heart diseases.

Other examples of the Bureau's work can be seen through comment letters submitted, including:

The complete list of the Office's CEQA comment letters can be found at https://oag.ca.gov/environment/ceqa/letters.

Through its review of hundreds of warehouse projects across the state, the Bureau of Environmental Justice has collected best practices and mitigation measures to assist local governments in complying with CEQA and to promote environmentally-just warehouse development across California.

SB1000 requires every California city and county that contains a disadvantaged community to address environmental justice in their General Plan. This includes identifying policies to reduce the unique or compounded health risks in environmental justice communities, prioritizing programs that address the needs of these communities, and promoting community engagement in decision-making processes.

The Attorney General is actively working to ensure local governments comply with SB 1000 in an effort to promote effective environmental justice planning at the local level. Since 2018, the Attorney General has submitted a dozen comment letters to cities and counties to promote SB 1000 compliance in their general plans. Most recently, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement with the City of Huntington Park that includes enforceable compliance milestones to ensure the development and adoption of meaningful, tailored environmental justice policies that considers input from impacted communities.

More information about SB 1000 and a complete list of the Attorney General's SB 1000 comment letters can be found at https://oag.ca.gov/environment/sb1000.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to holding corporate polluters accountable and working with local agencies to protect the health and safety of California communities. For example, in October, Attorney General Bonta intervened in a lawsuit to defend the South Coast Air Quality Management District's rule limiting warehouse pollution in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.

Other examples include:

The Attorney General has repeatedly pushed the federal government to protect environmental justice communities and vulnerable populations when regulations and policies have been insufficient.

For example, in October 2021, Attorney General Bonta led a coalition in urging the EPA to adopt strong regulations limiting oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty trucks. The Attorney General has also called on federal agencies to consider environmental justice impacts in new rulemaking, including comments to the Bureau of Land Management on their coal leasing program and to the EPA on their proposal to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons. Attorney General Bonta, as part of a coalition, also secured a court decision that led the EPA to issue a new rule that effectively ended the use of chlorpyrifos in agricultural production.

Press Releases:

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Every Californian should have the opportunity to live in a community that is healthy and safe. This is especially true for low-income communities and communities of color, who suffer disproportionate exposure to pollution and the corresponding health impacts from that exposure.

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Environmental justice (EJ) is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution, and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.

Historically, the environmental justice movement has been one of grassroots activism focusing on the rights and liberties of people of color and low-income communities relative to the environment and particularly, in response to the disproportionate burden of industrial pollution and lack of regulatory enforcement in these communities.

In 1994, President William Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," directing federal agencies to address environmental injustices in their operations and in communities across the country. Since, and in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, states and municipalities have developed policies and programs to pro-actively address environmental equity concerns to help ensure that minority and low-income communities are not disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards.

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What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental justice (EJ) is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution, and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.

Historically, the environmental justice movement has been one of grassroots activism focusing on the rights and liberties of people of color and low-income communities relative to the environment and particularly, in response to the disproportionate burden of industrial pollution and lack of regulatory enforcement in these communities.

In 1994, President William Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," directing federal agencies to address environmental injustices in their operations and in communities across the country. Since, and in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, states and municipalities have developed policies and programs to pro-actively address environmental equity concerns to help ensure that minority and low-income communities are not disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards.

Environmental Equity in Massachusetts

The Commonwealth's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) established an Environmental Justice Policy to help address the disproportionate share of environmental burdens experienced by lower-income people and communities of color who, at the same time, often lack environmental assets in their neighborhoods. The policy is designed to help ensure their protection from environmental pollution as well as promote community involvement in planning and environmental decision-making to maintain and/or enhance the environmental quality of their neighborhoods.

Through its agencies and programs, EEA works to engage environmental justice populations in environmental decision-making through expanded and inclusive outreach, to minimize health risks through targeted environmental enforcement, and to improve environmental quality in all communities through initiatives that include reduction of pollutants and emissions, remediation and redevelopment of contaminated land, and investment in urban parks and greenspace.

Improving Environmental Quality

There are basically two frameworks of environmental equity:

1. stopping the environmental "bads," such as a disproportionate burden of toxics

2. promoting the environmental "goods," such as assuring access to parks, green amenities, and recreational opportunities.

AIR: Reducing Diesel Emissions

The Administration is working to advance biofuels through investment in research and development, tax incentives, and requirements for percentages of bio-diesel in heating oil and diesel fuel. Additionally, in June 2008, Governor Deval Patrick launched MassCleanDiesel: Clean Air for Kids, a new clean air initiative that installed pollution controls on diesel-powered school buses serving public schools across the state. EEA and MassDEP are also developing a statewide diesel strategy to reduce emissions and improve air quality throughout the Commonwealth.

ENERGY: Clean Energy Technology and Efficiency

EEA, through policy initiatives, investment, and its Leading by Example Program is advancing clean and renewable energy projects at state facilities and throughout the Commonwealth including wind, solar, bio-diesel, and biomass. These clean energy initiatives are helping to decrease our demand on fossil-fuels as well as reducing pollutants that harm public health, degrade environmental quality, and contribute to global warming.

LAND: Brownfields Revitalization

EEA and its agencies, in collaboration with various public and private partners, are working to return contaminated sites to clean and productive use through investment and smart growth technical assistance. Throughout Massachusetts, once blighted brownfield sites are being developed for businesses, housing, and parks, resulting in revitalized urban communities and improved environmental health.

GREENSPACE: Greening the Urban Environment

Increasing environmental assets in EJ communities is central toward improving public health and achieving environmental equity. EEA works to advance urban land conservation, which is a key component in the creation of new parks, trails, urban wilds, and gardens. Additionally, in partnership with DCR, EEA seeks to expand tree canopies in urban areas, particularly in EJ neighborhoods.

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Environmental justice (EJ) is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution, and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.

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"Environmental Justice" is based on the principle that all people should be protected from environmental pollution and have the right to a clean and healthy environment. Environmental justice is the protection of the health of the people of Illinois and its environment, equity in the administration of the State's environmental programs, and the provision of adequate opportunities for meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

The assumption of this policy is that it is evolutionary. Environmental Justice policies and activities will continue to develop, as appropriate, through the normal course of the Agency's regulatory and programmatic duties. In addition to the normal evolution of the policy, the Agency is planning outreach activities to gather comments and public input for this spring. The Illinois EPA recognizes that this policy alone will not achieve environmental equity in all instances. Moreover, public and private commitment to the implementation of this policy is needed to achieve the goals of this policy and to promote environmental equity in this State.

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Léalo en Español

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA or Agency) is committed to protecting the health of the citizens of Illinois and its environment, and to promoting environmental equity in the administration of its programs to the extent it may do so legally and practicably. The Illinois EPA supports the objectives of achieving environmental equity for all of the citizens of Illinois.

"Environmental Justice" is based on the principle that all people should be protected from environmental pollution and have the right to a clean and healthy environment. Environmental justice is the protection of the health of the people of Illinois and its environment, equity in the administration of the State's environmental programs, and the provision of adequate opportunities for meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

The assumption of this policy is that it is evolutionary. Environmental Justice policies and activities will continue to develop, as appropriate, through the normal course of the Agency's regulatory and programmatic duties. In addition to the normal evolution of the policy, the Agency is planning outreach activities to gather comments and public input for this spring. The Illinois EPA recognizes that this policy alone will not achieve environmental equity in all instances. Moreover, public and private commitment to the implementation of this policy is needed to achieve the goals of this policy and to promote environmental equity in this State.

Listserv Sign-up

To receive e-mailed updates on resources and grant opportunities related to Environmental Justice in Illinois, please sign up for our listserv below.

Email address:

Your Name: (optional)

EJ Notifications Sign-up Inscríbase en español

Environmental Justice notification letters are to provide enhanced public outreach about permit transactions at the Illinois EPA to individuals, elected officials, and community groups. To receive Environmental Justice notification letters by email, please sign up below. For more information on the Environmental Justice notification process, please see our Notification Process factsheet.

*​The EJ Notification Letter includes a Distribution List of all organizations receiving the letter. If you include an organization when signing up for the listserv, this information will be represented on the letter's public list.

Please enter the County/Counties, Zip Code(s), City/town, or Bureau ID number for a specific facility for the notifications you are interested in. Required

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All forms of environmental justice encompass an issue of social justice. The recognition of this principle is fundamental to understand that environmental justice, as traditionally known in the United States, or climate justice at a global scale, is not only about addressing the disproportionate negative impacts of climate change and other environmental problems in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) and underserved communities, but it also entails the unequal distribution/access to the benefits of nature.

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Environmental Justice

All forms of environmental justice encompass an issue of social justice. The recognition of this principle is fundamental to understand that environmental justice, as traditionally known in the United States, or climate justice at a global scale, is not only about addressing the disproportionate negative impacts of climate change and other environmental problems in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) and underserved communities, but it also entails the unequal distribution/access to the benefits of nature.

Readings

Agyeman, J., Schlosberg, D., Craven, L., & Matthews, C. (2016). Trends and directions in environmental justice: from inequity to everyday life, community, and just sustainabilities. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 41.

Almahdi, A. Climate Justice is Racial Justice. The McGill Tribune [Online].

Álvarez, L., & Coolsaet, B. (2020). Decolonizing environmental justice studies: a Latin American perspective. Capitalism nature socialism, 31(2), 50-69.

Bullard, R. D., Warren, R. C., & Johnson, G. S. (2005). The quest for environmental justice. Human Rights and the politics of pollution.

Dhillon, J. (2018). Introduction: Indigenous resurgence, decolonization, and movements for environmental justice. Environment and Society, 9(1), 1-5.

Finney, C. (2014). Black faces, white spaces: Reimagining the relationship of African Americans to the great outdoors. UNC Press Books.

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

Penniman, L., & Washington, Karen. (2018). Farming while Black: Soul Fire Farm's practical guide to liberation on the land. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing. (book)

Schlosberg, D., & Collins, L. B. (2014). From environmental to climate justice: climate change and the discourse of environmental justice. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 5(3), 359-374.

Taylor, D. E. (2000). The rise of the environmental justice paradigm: Injustice framing and the social construction of environmental discourses. American behavioral scientist, 43(4), 508-580.

At Stanford

The Environmental Justice Working Group (EJWG) at Stanford is an intergenerational collective working to embed environmental justice into our research, teaching, and community-engagement at Stanford.

EJ Mapping Tools

The following tools allow you to correlate environmental to demographic indicators.

EJSCREEN- EPAs environmental justice mapping and screening tool that combines environmental and demographic indicators.

EJ Atlas- Global atlas of social conflict around environmental issues

Energy Democracy for All- From the Center for Social Inclusion; pinpoints communities across America that are developing community-scale renewable energy projects.

Energy Justice Network- Existing, proposed, closed and defeated dirty energy and waste facilities in the United States.

External EJ Organizations

350.org

Center for Health, Environment & Justice

Climate Justice Alliance

Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment

Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice

Center for Diversity & the Environment
(including the Environmental Professionals of Color network)

California Environmental Justice Coalition – CEJC

California Environmental Justice Alliance

Communities For A Better Environment

Green For All

Indigenous Environment Network

US Climate Action Network (USCAN)

WE ACT for Environmental Justice

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All forms of environmental justice encompass an issue of social justice. The recognition of this principle is fundamental to understand that environmental justice, as traditionally known in the United States, or climate justice at a global scale, is not only about addressing the disproportionate negative impacts of climate change and other environmental problems in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) and underserved communities, but it also entails the unequal distribution/access to the benefits of nature.