Public Resource
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Best Practices for Equity And Governance
Sylvia Chi. Just Solutions Collective
Environmental justice communities can be meaningfully centered and empowered within the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program. Prioritize direct benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities. Community engagement should be incorporated throughout awardees’ operations, including in their overall governance structure and business plan. Create accountability to local and impacted communities, especially low-income and disadvantaged communities. Operate with transparency, which is a prerequisite for accountability, and helps to build trust with communities and other stakeholders. Apply robust safeguards to ensure that awarded funds are not used to support projects that worsen pollution or economic burdens or make existing disparities worse.