Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is the principle that everyone should have the right to clean air and water and be meaningfully involved in decisions that impact their environmental conditions. Environmental justice is meant to fight the disproportionate impact of environmental issues and ensure that everyone can access resources.

The Justice40 Initiative is a federal executive order requiring that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments be directed toward disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.

The GWRCCC is working to improve equitable access to clean transportation options by engaging with local communities across the DMV to co-develop projects and solutions that address real, on-the-ground needs. We recognize that community engagement helps elevate the voices of members of marginalized communities who have historically lacked the political power and economic capital to influence decision-making. Our environmental justice work ensures that a diversity of perspectives is represented at the decision-making table—including voices from those impacted by these decisions—ensuring that more people benefit from the decisions made.

This work aligns with the Justice40 Initiative, reflecting a federal commitment to securing environmental justice and implementing economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and healthcare.