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“…Putting environmental justice at the same table as the conversation on climate in this executive order really helped to focus people’s attention. It was no longer this niche issue that scrappy officials had to get together and put resources together for…”

—Chitra Kumar, managing director of the Climate & Energy Program, Union of Concerned Scientists

In the first days of his term, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, introducing the Justice40 initiative and setting important climate priorities for the nation. Built upon principals of the U.S. environmental justice movement begun by Dr. Robert Bullard four decades prior, Justice40 set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of federal climate and affordable housing investments must flow to historically disadvantaged communities.

As with any ambitious government spending plan, Justice40 has been subject to scrutiny of the administration’s ability to deliver on its intentions. Since January of 2024, the initiative has faced criticisms for its difficult grant application process and inconsistent tracking of where associated benefits and dollars are touching ground in the U.S.

Other developments over the summer of 2024 have also undermined public confidence in Justice40. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of the Chevron doctrine with its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision introduced doubts by eliminating a forty-year-old precedent of deferring to agency interpretations of ambiguous federal laws. President Biden’s subsequent withdrawal from the presidential race in July has added to the uncertain outlook.

With Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, it remains to be seen whether Justice40 in its current form will carry over among a new administration’s priorities.

Environmental justice will remain a critical focus for many Ten Across communities whether Justice40 is renewed or not. And though there may be room for improvement, the initiative increased federal support where it has long been needed most and drew national attention to important climate and equity issues.

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with Chitra Kumar, a former director in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, about her observations of renewed vigor for environmental justice across federal agencies and the internal culture shift that resulted from the work of the Justice40 Initiative.

Note: In this discussion, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool is sometimes referred to by its acronym, “CJEST.”

Resources referenced in this conversation:

Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool

“Strengthening Justice40” (Chitra Kumar, The Equation, April 25, 2024)

“Why the White House’s Justice40 is an Important Tool to Build On” (Chitra Kumar, The Equation, April 25, 2024)

Guest Speaker

Chitra Kumar is the managing director of the Climate & Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Prior to that, Chitra served as the director of the Office of Policy, Partnerships and Program Development in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. While at the EPA, she advised senior Biden administration officials and career EPA leaders on the Justice 40 initiative, along with other environmental justice priorities.