Justice40: Environmental Initiatives of the Biden-Harris Administration

Cathy Zhang ’26 and Maia Wijnberg ’26

In January 2021, during his first week in office, President Biden issued Executive Order 14008, which established a goal of donating 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities– a project called Justice40. These communities, also called Justice40 communities, face environmental and socioeconomic issues such as pollution and high poverty rates. This project consists of seven main investment categories, like climate change and sustainable housing. To implement the Justice40 initiative and meet its goal, the Biden-Harris Administration is creating and transforming many Federal programs. Two examples of the government’s investment in environmental justice issues are the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Build Back Better Act, within which many programs are covered by Justice40 (The White House, 2023).

Other initiatives were also implemented alongside Justice40 within Executive Order 14008. The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council– a committee of environmental justice experts– was established to advise the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council. The President appoints the members to the council, which contains 24 members from diverse backgrounds with a vast range of experiences in environmental justice and racial inequity fields (The White House, 2023). Another initiative is the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, allowing for easier identification of disadvantaged communities to help with Justice40. The tool highlights areas if they meet the conditions for one or more of the burden categories. For instance, a community is marked as disadvantaged if they are at or above the 90th percentile for diseases like asthma and heart disease– the health category of burden. Moreover, if areas are on land within the boundaries of a federally recognized tribe, the tool also identifies it as disadvantaged on the map. Anybody can explore the map with highlighted underprivileged communities on the Screening Tool’s website, and one can search for states, counties, cities, and more to determine which regions are disadvantaged.

In July 2021, the President issued Interim Implementation Guidance for federal agencies to identify and change their programs under Justice40. A year and a half later, in January 2023, the White House issued more guidance for these agencies about utilizing the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.

The Biden-Harris Administration has also taken other actions for environmental justice. In August 2021, it revoked the usage of a pesticide called chlorpyrifos with negative health impacts, launching initiatives regarding ecological justice through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture. The administration also set goals for the United States, one being reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030, and they have taken numerous steps toward these goals, like creating Justice40 (The White House, 2023). Through actions such as ensuring investments reach disadvantaged communities and incorporating environmental justice voices into decision-making, the administration delivers on the President’s “promise of a healthy and safe environment for all” (Martinez et al., 2021).

References

Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. (2022, November 22).

https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5

Environmental justice. The White House. (2023, October 23).

https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/

Justice40: Use of leading practices would strengthen efforts to guide environmental justice initiative. U.S. Government Accountability

Office. (2024, January 29).

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-105869

Justice40 Initiative. (2024, February 28). The White House.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/

Martinez, C., & Vahlsing, C. (2021, December 2). Delivering on Justice40. The White House.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2021/12/02/delivering-on-justice40/