Work
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice is the principle that all people, regardless of race, disability status, age, or socioeconomic background, have a right to live, work, and play in communities that are safe, healthy, and free of harmful environmental conditions.
Report
The EJNYC Report is as an assessment of environmental justice issues in NYC today and historically, and identifies a series of policy opportunities that the City will explore further in the forthcoming EJNYC Plan to advance environmental justice for New Yorkers.
Mapping Tool
The EJNYC Mapping Tool equips all New Yorkers with information necessary to advocate for and make more informed decisions about environmental justice in New York City. We hope this information will help you advance our common goal of achieving environmental justice in New York City.
In 2017, New York City passed Local Laws 60 and 64 to assess environmental equity issues in the city and develop a plan to incorporate environmental justice into the fabric of City decision-making. This legislation centers on three main products—a report, an online EJ portal, and a plan. This legislatively mandated work, known as Environmental Justice New York City (EJNYC), represents a historic investment from the City of New York to study environmental inequities affecting how and where low-income communities and communities of color live, and to provide all residents the tools to advocate for the best outcomes for their communities.
To carry out this work, the City established an independent Environmental Justice Advisory Board comprised of nationally recognized EJ advocates and local subject matter experts appointed jointly by the Mayor and City Council, and convened an Interagency Working Group comprised of staff from 19 City agencies. The Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice appointed by the Mayor oversees the stakeholder and inter-agency coordination, and development of the EJNYC Report, Portal, and Plan.
The EJNYC Report will be the City’s first comprehensive study of environmental justice. In early 2021, the City released an interactive map of the City’s Environmental Justice Areas and launched a citywide public engagement process to bring frontline communities to the table in developing the Scope of Work for the EJNYC Report. Read the Full Scope of Work.
A comprehensive report on environmental justice lays the foundation for a successful plan that addresses systemic and persistent environmental inequality.
The EJNYC Mapping Tool is a public web-based portal and mapping tool based on the data and analysis from the EJNYC Report. This portal hosts interactive maps, a data repository, and information on relevant City programs relating to environmental justice. It will be used by City agencies to inform their environmental decision-making, and will empower residents and organizers with the tools to continue advocating for the best outcomes for their communities.
The EJNYC Plan is the culmination of all the EJNYC work. The plan identifies potential citywide and local initiatives for promoting environmental justice and outline a set of discrete recommendations for better embedding equity and environmental justice into the City’s decision-making processes.
Take Action
When we bring our voices, our action, and our advocacy to our schools, our homes, and our workplaces, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future for the 8.3 million people who call our five boroughs home.
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