Envisioning the Future of the Environmental Justice Movement
A Climate Week NYC 2026 Convening at the Lee C. Bollinger Forum at Columbia University
Tuesday, September 22nd – 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
As part of Climate Week NYC 2026, WE ACT for Environmental Justice has created, Envisioning the Future of the Environmental Justice Movement, a day-long series of discussions on the future of the environmental justice movement. In commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, the historic gathering that established the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice and helped shape the modern environmental justice movement, this special event will celebrate the movement’s accomplishments while bringing together leaders, advocates, researchers, policymakers, students, and community members to chart the path forward.
The event is free to all who register, though we gladly welcome donations. See below for details. And follow the registration link to select which sessions you want to attend. As we expect a high turnout, please only register for what you are certain you will attend. REGISTER
8:00–9:00 AM
Registration, Coffee, & Networking in the Atrium (First Floor)
Coffee, light bites, and networking
9:00–9:30 AM
Welcome Remarks in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Louise Yeung, Chief Climate Officer, City of New York
Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder & Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Sheila Foster, J.D., Professor of Climate, Columbia Climate School
9:45–10:45 AM
Fireside Chat with Environmental Justice Leaders on the 35th Anniversary of the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Thirty-five years after the historic First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991, which helped shape our movement, this fireside chat reflects on the evolution of the environmental justice movement through 2026. Environmental justice leaders will take stock of where we have been, examine the victories that transformed our national consciousness about environmental protection and equity, and draw upon the lessons emerging from our setbacks. Against today’s political, social, and environmental challenges, the conversation will consider how we sustain the movement, build power across generations, and chart a path forward that is grounded in the wisdom of our history, the lessons of our struggles, and the promise of collective action.
Moderator: Sheila Foster, J.D., Professor of Climate, Columbia Climate School
Panelists:
Susannah Almanza, Founding Member & Executive Director, PODER
Charles Lee, Visiting Scholar for the Environmental and Climate Justice Center, Howard University
Vernice Miller-Travis, Executive Vice President, Metropolitan Group, and Co-Founder, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Richard Moore, Co-Coordinator, Los Jardines Institute, and Co-Founder & Board Member, Just Transition Alliance
Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder & Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Beverly Wright, Ph.D, Founder and Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
11:00 AM–12:00 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
Knowledge in Service of Justice: Academia and the Environmental Justice Movement in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Academia can deepen its partnership with the environmental justice movement to help sustain and grow its impact. This conversation will explore opportunities for academic centers to support movement leadership through research, education, technical expertise, resources, and capacity-building. Panelists will consider actions that promote meaningful collaboration that elevate community knowledge, strengthen frontline organizations, develop the next generation of leaders, and ensure academic institutions contribute in ways that advance movement priorities, power, and long-term resilience.
Moderator: Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder & Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and Anhthu Hoang, Ph.D, Deputy Director & General Counsel
Panelists:
Michel Gelobter, Executive Director, Yale Center for Environmental Justice
Kyle Whyte, George Willis Pack Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, and University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, University of Michigan
Sacoby Wilson, Ph.D, Executive Director, Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health INpowering Communities (CEEJH INC)
Beverly Wright, Ph.D, Founder and Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
11:00 AM–12:00 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
Community-Based Climate Resilience Solutions in Room 301 (Third Floor)
A panel discussion on building climate resilience through policy, on-the-ground practice, and infrastructure investment in environmental justice communities.
Moderator: Caleb Smith, New York City Policy Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Panelists:
Paul Lozito, ACIP, Deputy Executive Director, New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice
Charles (Chase) Moon, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mathy Stanislaus, Professor & Executive Director, The Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University
Tyler Taba, Director of Policy & Government Affairs, Waterfront Alliance
12:00–12:15 PM
Pre-Lunch Keynote in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Heather McTeer Toney, Executive Director, Beyond Petrochemicals
12:15–1:15 PM
Lunch in the Atrium (First Floor)
1:20–1:30 PM
Post-Lunch Remarks in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Alexis Abramson, Ph.D, Dean, Columbia Climate School, and Professor of Climate
1:30–2:30 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
The Path Forward: Climate Policy & Regulations Beyond the Rollbacks in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Panelists will chart a proactive agenda for climate action across the federal and New York landscapes, looking beyond the current rollbacks toward durable, ambitious policy.
Moderator: Briana Carbajal, State Legislative Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Panelists:
Irene Burga, Climate Justice & Clean Air Program Director, GreenLatinos
Theo Moore, Executive Director, ALIGN
Hanna Vizcara, Deputy Managing Attorney, National Climate, Earthjustice
1:30–3:45 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
Voices Shaping the Next Generation of the Environmental Justice Movement in the Atrium (First Floor)
This extended panel discussion puts a new generation of movement leaders in the room to discuss where they see the movement over the coming decade.
Moderator: Tali Natter, Research Coordinator, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Panelists:
Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist
Meisei Gonzalez, GreenLatinos
Asada Rashidi, Environmental Justice Organizer, SWEA
Jada Tulloch, Youth Engagement & Environmental Justice Educator, South Bronx Unite
2:45–3:45 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
The Cost of Cutting Corners: Permitting, Public Health & the Future of Environmental Justice in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
A panel discussion on the need to resist compromise and instead scale-up proven local solutions.
Moderator: Anastasia Gordon, Federal Policy Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Panelists:
Adriana Espinoza, Chief of Staff, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Caitlion Hunter, Research and Policy Director, RISE St. James Louisiana
Brion Oaks, Executive Director, Texas Campaign for the Environment
Jane Patton, Campaign Manager, US Fossil Economy, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
Dr. Inyang Uwak, Director for Research & Policy, Air Alliance Houston
4:00–5:00 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
Sustainable, Healthy, Affordable Housing in the Main Auditorium (Second Floor)
Housing sits at the intersection of health, climate, and economic justice – where a home should be affordable to keep, safe to live in, and built to last. This panel will explore how we deliver housing that meets all three demands at once.
Moderator: Jaron Burke, Senior Program Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and Director, Manhattan Clean Energy Hub
Panelists:
Michael Hernandez, Senior Manager, New York Policy, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Dr. Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, Pediatric Pulmonology, CUIMC/NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
Daphany Rose Sanchez, Executive Director, KC3
4:00–5:00 PM (Concurrent Sessions)
Data Centers: Lessons from Local Campaigns in Room 301 (Third Floor)
This panel will convene experts that are confronting data centers from several regions to discuss the parallels and differences in their experiences and ultimately take away lessons on data center organizing from across the country.
Moderator: Denise Patel, National Organizing Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Panelists:
Alex Beauchamp, Northern Regional Director, New York Food and Water Watch
Ben Grillot, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Ean Tafoya, Vice President of State Programs, GreenLatinos
Marco Tedesco, Research Professor, Marine and Polar Geophysics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), Columbia Climate School at Columbia, and Adjunct Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)
5:30–7:30 PM
Closing Reception in the Atrium (First Floor)
Drinks, light fare, and networking
Location, Partners, & Other Details
The Lee C. Bollinger Forum at Columbia University is located at 601 West 125th Street (the corner of Broadway & West 125th Street). The event is co-hosted by WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the Columbia Climate School, and Beyond Petrochemicals. Entry is free to all who have registered, though we welcome donations.