A list of the covered programs under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative was made public by the Department of the Interior today.
The initiative’s goal is to provide marginalized, overburdened, and underserved communities with 40 percent of the overall benefits of investments in clean energy, the environment, and related fields.
The Department’s 10 bureaus and 65 covered programs all work to further the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to environmental justice.
Secretary Deb Haaland stated, “The Interior Department is committed to furthering environmental justice and ensuring that no community are left behind as we build a better America.”
“It is essential that the Biden-Harris administration’s significant investments benefit historically underprivileged communities, who for too long have borne the brunt of the climate crisis, from climate adaptation and the promise of clean energy to legacy pollution clean-up and clean water infrastructure.”
The list of covered programs, which was released today, includes new programs approved under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as well as programs that the Department is pledging to increase benefits to disadvantaged communities.
These programs have historically provided benefits to disadvantaged communities for decades. To measure and report the benefits reaching underserved populations, the Department is developing methodology.
The Interior Department has meticulously reviewed programs for inclusion in the Justice40 Initiative ever since it was established in the President’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad and in accordance with the interim guidance.
As new government programs are developed or current federal programs come to an end, the list of programs that was just provided is anticipated to change over time.
Through the Justice40 Initiative, hundreds of government programs totaling billions of dollars in annual contributions are being redesigned and altered to maximize benefits to neglected and socially disadvantaged communities.
On the White House website, you may find more details on other initiatives announced today by the Administration.