Washington, D.C. — Climate change-related extreme weather events, which are currently on the rise, exacerbate decades of discriminatory policy and practices on low-income communities and communities of color. In an issue brief released today, the Center for American Progress offers recommendations for the next administration to improve climate resilience for low-income communities and communities of color and thus improve health and economic opportunities in the face of extreme weather events.
The paper offers three key strategies to accomplishing this:
- Improve access to low-carbon and resilient energy for all communities
- Enhance hard, soft, and natural infrastructure
- Embed principles of equitable, just climate resilience into all levels of federal decision-making
“Low-income communities and communities of color shoulder an unequal burden in the wake of extreme weather events,” said Danielle Baussan, Managing Director of Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress. “Extreme weather affects housing, pollution-related health outcomes, transit, and job access—making it harder for low-income communities to survive extreme weather, much less thrive afterward. Focusing on equitable climate resilience in the next administration can improve infrastructure and economic opportunities in all communities to buffer the impacts of a changing climate.”
Increased extreme weather events have made low-income communities of color more susceptible to the kind of economic, infrastructure, and health hazards associated with climate change. Expanding access to cleaner energy, protecting homes and communities from extreme weather, and inclusive governance can stabilize communities while also offering economic opportunity.
Click here to read the brief.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.