NRDC and the Justice40 Initiative

Three teenage-aged children smiling and looking down at plants they are planting — Credit:
Getty Images

President Biden passed Executive Order 14008 just days after he took office, which created the historic Justice40 Initiative (J40). The initiative requires that at least 40 percent of the overall benefits from certain federal climate and infrastructure programs go toward disinvested and overburdened communities in these seven areas:

Climate change
Clean energy & energy efficiency
Clean transit
Affordable & sustainable housing
Remediation & reduction of legacy pollution
Critical clean water & wastewater infrastructure
Training & workforce development related to these investment areas

This wide net means that more than 400 new and existing federal programs—including many created by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—across two dozen federal agencies now fall under the J40 umbrella. All of them must take steps to meet the required 40 percent benchmark.

Since 2023, in coordination with community-based partners, NRDC has worked with agencies to coordinate and provide community-centered feedback to develop more equitable, inclusive, and implementable programs. Now that these programs are in the process of implementation, NRDC is working across geographies to ensure communities are at the forefront of the decision-making process and have the resources/technical assistance to access these historic programs.

A group of people in hard hats posing in front of a house — The nonprofit organization Greening of Detroit received a $9.6 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Justice40 Initiative, which will be used to increase the number of trees being planted in underserved areas of the city in volunteer tree-planting events.
Credit:
The Greening of Detroit via USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region

NRDC is dedicated to removing barriers and supporting partners in seizing this catalytic moment through J40 programs. One example is Solar for All, which enables communities to access low-cost residential solar hubs. Another example is the Community Change grants, which fund community-led projects that tackle climate and environmental injustice, reduce pollution, and build capacity for climate and environmental justice organizations. Agencies are using screening tools, such as the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool developed by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, to help understand and map communities that meet the threshold for these programs.

NRDC is continuing to work with agencies throughout the process and to educate lawmakers about critical improvements like increased transparency, firm budgetary commitments, and equitable program implementation that can translate into tangible, transformative, and lasting benefits for low-income communities, marginalized and frontline communities, and communities of color. The Justice40 Initiative could be a major step forward in combating environmental injustice and ensuring a safe, healthy climate for all.

You can learn more about our work and resources developed below:

EPA COMMUNITY CHANGE GRANTS

RESOURCES