Justice40rward – A Justice40 Campaign

WE ACT For Environmental Justice’s Justice40rward Campaign was designed to ensure that frontline communities could fully access and benefit from the federal Justice40 Initiative, which directs 40 percent of the benefits of climate and clean energy investments to historically disadvantaged communities. Through a nationwide effort, WE ACT worked closely with community-based organizations, local governments, and federal agencies to increase awareness, access, and accountability in Justice40 implementation. Our goal was three-fold: 1) educate and inform, 2) strengthen local implementation, and 3) advance federal advocacy and accountability. Now, we're telling the stories of the communities on the ground, their innovative projects, and how to continue the work to ensure these neighborhoods get the funds they deserve to create a healthy, safe future for all.

What Is Justice40rward?
We all deserve the right to clean air and water, protection from harm, the opportunity to succeed with good jobs, and the chance to thrive. As we face increasing extreme weather, including disasters like floods and wildfires, all communities should have the resources to prepare and rebuild. And because energy costs continue to skyrocket, we all deserve more affordable energy bills and sources of energy that don’t make us sick and pollute our planet. That is the shared vision of fair and basic rights and opportunities that the Justice40 initiative was built on – a vision we will keep working together to achieve.

Justice40rward is a community-led effort launched by WE ACT for Environmental Justice, to ensure transparency and collaboration between elected officials, municipalities, and those who live in disadvantaged communities that the Justice40 Initiative was designed to support. Our work made sure people, including local and state officials, understand the Justice40 Initiative.

Stolen Futures: Communities Betrayed by Funding Clawbacks

Despite the challenges and the growing pains of an entirely new, massively scaled initiative to deliver on these vital community investments, many groups were awarded funding under the Justice40 initiative – the positive impacts of which are still unfolding. While the communities receiving these awards began life-changing projects, their efforts all began unravelling when the Trump administration betrayed them by freezing, delaying, and cancelling their program funding.

 

The Trump administration violated the law and congressional legal mandates. As a result of the administration’s unlawful termination of Justice40 programs and cancellation of the Congressionally mandated funding for these projects, hundreds of organizations and potentially thousands of communities will not benefit from the grantees’ efforts to clean up contaminated sites, improve air and water quality, and provide services that improve their health and well-being.

Now, the ‘Stolen Futures’ project serves as a visualization of the importance of these investments and the vision for Justice40, as well as accountability to demand justice is served for funds owed. This effort and campaign has evolved in partnership with  WE ACT for Environmental Justice  and the  Natural Resources Defense Council  (NRDC) to uplift the stories of communities doing essential work, and to demonstrate the impacts of federal funding clawbacks through a StoryMap and  interactive dashboard . The dashboard shows the amount of funding and grants lost, all in the context of the city or town impacted and the type of project whether it be air monitoring, water cleanup, or more.

The environmental justice movement will continue to fight for what is right, and we will be back stronger.

As Peggy Shepard of  WE ACT for Environmental Justice  shared her experience and wisdom from her advocacy through multiple administrations.

“I think we will understand the needs and understand the fight. We know that we are making an impact. We are climbing up that mountain. There’s no mountain top in sight, we’ve had a setback, a little landslide. But, we’re going to be ready again when the opportunity arises, and that’s what’s so important. You never know when these opportunities are going to come, but when they do, you’ve got to be ready, and we will be.”

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The Justice40 Initiative
President Biden established the Justice40 Initiative to ensure that people living with legacy harms are prioritized in our national transition to greener sources of energy, cleaner air and water and economic opportunities. The goal is that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to communities that have been marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution and climate change.

Why is the Justice40 Initiative Important?
We all want our families to grow up healthy, happy, and safe for generations to come. Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods have been intentionally exploited and systematically harmed. For example, they have paid an unconscionable price for pollution and climate change due to a variety of factors, including but not limited to:

  1. Systemic racism, classism, and other issues;
  2. White supremacy that sponsors and supports racist and classists policies;
  3. Historic land stealing (eminent domain) and Redlining (housing segregation);
  4. Mismanagement of funds earmarked for specific communities, racism, classism, and other issues;
  5. Devaluation of of people of color and low-income;
  6. Disproportionate, cumulative exposure to pollution and associated health impacts;
  7. Disproportionate effect on jobs during the transition to a clean economy; and
  8. Uneven distribution of the costs and benefits of green investments and environmental programs designed to subsidize access to clean technology 

Justice40rward Community Tours
WE ACT for Environmental Justice united community leaders, members, and elected officials across five states to spotlight the Justice40 Initiative, announced by President Biden in January 2021. Our local convenings brought together these communities and those who serve them to gain a better understanding of how to access and utilize these funds to advance environmental justice The tour made impactful stops in cities like Houston, Austin, Seattle, and more!

SEATTLE Justice40rward Community Tour

KANSAS Justice40rward Community Tour

DETROIT Justice40rward Community Tour

ALASKA Justice40rward Community Tour

CHICAGO Justice40rward Community Tour

How Can Local And State Officials Support Communities Now and in the Future? 
The federal benefits and investments of Justice40 are distributed in two ways: (1) discretionary grants and (2) formula funds. Local and state officials are an important part of the process of ensuring that communities most in need of investment receive funds. They can partner with communities to develop:

  1. Justice-oriented funding criteria;
  2. Equitable implementation requirements:
  3. Transparent reporting processes, opportunities, and results;
  4. Objective evaluation mechanisms; and
  5. Robust community engagement processes.

Community Engagement Issue Brief
Read our Community Engagement Issue Brief by clicking here.