Environmental Justice

Environmental injustice takes the form of gas flares only blocks away from homes, rural communities saddled with foul drinking water, and neighborhoods divided by highways.

While growing up in the small Eastern European country of Slovenia, I took clean air and water for granted. Slovenia is one of the greenest places in Europe, with forests covering 60% of its land.

As a member of the Australian delegation to the World Bank/IMF annual meetings in 2016, I attended a meeting of small island developing states. I sat next to a delegate from a Pacific Island country and listened to a World Bank official outline their strategy for the region.

Environmental injustice takes the form of gas flares only blocks away from homes, rural communities saddled with foul drinking water, and neighborhoods divided by highways. It has a common thread—people whose needs have been disregarded living in communities whose environ-ments have been degraded.

FCNL is an ally to environmental justice communities who have long sought to bring greater awareness to this issue. We see environmental advocacy as part of our commitment to earth stewardship, equity, and justice for all.

With the historic  passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August, a significant amount of funding has been issued for developing green technologies that are set to advance the U.S. economy.

As Congressional negotiations continue on legislation to address climate change, energy security, and environmental protection, FCNL led a group of more than 60 organizations in calling on lawmakers to take meaningful and historic action to address the impact of environmental racism on communities across the United States.

Right now, lawmakers have a rare opportunity before them: a chance to pass legislation that responds to the climate crisis and addresses the longstanding need to extend justice to communities experiencing environmental racism.

The Environmental Justice for All Act addresses the prevalence of toxic waste sites and heavy polluting fossil fuel infrastructure in and near communities of color and low-income communities.