Each year the Office of Sustainability’s Equity & Environment Initiative (EEI) distributes approximately $250,000 to support the improvement of environmental and health conditions in response to climate change with the goal of advancing environmental justice for communities who experience the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation first and worst.
2020 Environmental Justice Fund application opens August 24th. Wonder if your project qualifies? We’re glad to offer assistance! Fill out this quick survey (optional) and we will get in touch to set up a call. Note that this is not the final application.
Across the United States, race is the most significant predictor of a person living near contaminated air, water, or soil. It is for this reason that this funding is aimed to support efforts that are led by and benefit the people most affected by environmental and climate issues: Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth and elders.
The links between environmental heath, community health, race and social justice and the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic are stark. The Office of Sustainability & Environment knows that COVID-19 is impacting our communities in ways that we are just beginning to understand. The 2020 application will be modified to focus specifically on community resilience needs because of impacts by COVID-19 at the nexus of environmental and climate justice.
Criteria for projects should include community-defined solutions that improve environmental and community health & well-being and respond to impacts of climate change and COVID-19. Projects may be focused on capacity building, ongoing visioning, community education, collaboration or other efforts that address climate preparedness, air quality, food insecurity, green jobs, and other environmental and climate justice issues.