The United States has entered a new era of environmental justice. The Biden-Harris administration has dedicated nearly $150 billion toward pollution cleanup, clean energy development, the creation of living-wage jobs, and measures to ensure that all people—regardless of race, income or ZIP code—can live in healthy and safe communities. Under the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative, more than 500 programs across 17 federal agencies are committed to delivering at least 40 percent of the benefits from federal climate, clean energy, and other infrastructure investments to historically marginalized communities. From pollution reduction to clean transit, flood and extreme heat protection, and clean energy development, there are new climate, health, and job opportunities unfolding to an extent never seen before.
This series highlights the tireless efforts of community organizations, residents, and state and local governments working to reverse decadeslong environmental injustice and tackle the climate crisis in order to improve public health and economic security in Black, brown, Indigenous, and low-income communities. It explores the many ways in which these groups are accessing and making use of the Biden-Harris administration’s unprecedented investments.