Biden Plan: Environmental Justice and Economic Opportunity

Joe Biden is running for President with a commitment to ensuring that every American has a fair opportunity to succeed, which includes addressing systemic racism embedded in laws, policies, institutions, and societal attitudes. A key aspect of his campaign focuses on energy and environmental policies that not only promote public health and economic opportunities for all Americans - whether in rural, urban, or suburban settings - but also acknowledge the disproportionate impact that climate change and environmental pollutants have had on communities of color and low-income populations for decades. Biden's plan emphasizes holding corporate polluters accountable, especially for contributing to the underlying health conditions that have led to higher rates of illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 among Black, Latino, and Native American communities. To ensure policy accountability, Biden stresses the importance of officials being answerable to the people and communities they serve rather than to polluters and corporations. Addressing environmental and climate justice is a fundamental principle in Biden’s climate plan. His strategies include: 1. Adopting an Inclusive, Empowering All-of-Government Approach: Biden will modernize the nation's environmental justice policies by revising and revitalizing the 1994 Executive Order 12898, aiming to address the needs of today and the future. This includes establishing an Environmental and Climate Justice Division within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to rigorously pursue anti-pollution cases and hold corporate executives personally accountable, possibly including jail time. He plans to elevate and restructure key environmental justice groups within the federal government, ensuring they report directly to the President and are equipped to address both historical and ongoing environmental injustices. 2. Making Decisions Driven by Data and Science: Biden contrasts his approach with President Trump's, vowing to prioritize science in policymaking. He plans to enhance tools like EPA’s EJSCREEN to create a comprehensive Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, which will identify communities at risk from climate change, economic and racial inequality, and environmental pollution. Biden also intends to improve pollution monitoring in frontline communities, require industries to engage directly with local populations regarding toxic releases, and establish interagency teams to address specific environmental justice challenges. 3. Targeting Resources Consistent with Environmental and Climate Justice Priorities: Biden has committed to directing 40% of his historic investment in clean energy to disadvantaged communities, focusing on areas like clean energy deployment, sustainable housing, and remediation of legacy pollution. These efforts are intended to address longstanding issues in these communities, such as lead contamination and access to safe drinking water, while also creating good-paying jobs and building climate-resilient infrastructure. 4. Assessing and Addressing Risks from Future Public Health Emergencies: Recognizing the link between climate change and public health, Biden plans to create a National Crisis Strategy prioritizing equitable disaster risk reduction. He will establish a task force focused on protecting vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, from climate change-related health risks. Additionally, he will create an Office of Climate Change and Health Equity within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to lead initiatives in minimizing the health impacts of climate change. In summary, Biden's plan integrates environmental and climate justice into all aspects of government policy, ensuring that disadvantaged communities receive the support and protection they need while holding polluters accountable.