Response by the White House Council on Environmental Quality to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council’s Final Recommendations: Justice40, Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, and Executive Order 12898 Revisions...
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Introduction
A. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Commitment to Environmental Justice
On January 27, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The executive order established several new, whole-of-government initiatives, and laid the foundation for the most ambitious environmental justice agenda ever undertaken by an Administration. It affirmed the pursuit of environmental justice as a central goal of the Federal Government, and tasked the entire government with advancing environmental justice and spurring economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities “that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care.” President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that to secure an equitable future, the Federal Government must ensure that environmental and economic justice are key considerations in how we govern. For far too long, too many communities across our country have faced environmental injustices, such as bearing the brunt of toxic pollution, enduring underinvestment in infrastructure and critical services, and suffering disproportionate impacts from climate change. President Biden and Vice President Harris campaigned on the need to confront longstanding environmental injustices and inequities. Since their first day in office, they have made achieving environmental justice a top priority of the Biden-Harris Administration and have sought to ensure that communities not only have greater visibility and input in Federal policies and decision-making—but that the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of environmental justice communities are heard in the White House and reflected in the priorities, policies, and investments of the Federal Government.
