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The Justice40 Initiative (J40) calls for 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities (DACs). At its core, the initiative provides a pathway for equitable deep decarbonization that transforms and builds wealth in underserved/overburdened communities.
The Justice40 Initiative is established under the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The federal investments in question include investments in clean energy and energy efficiency; clean transit; affordable and sustainable housing; training and workforce development; the remediation and reduction of legacy pollution; and the development of clean water infrastructure.
What is a J40 “covered program?”
What policy priorities does the J40 Initiative focus on?
How does the U.S. DOE define “disadvantaged communities (DACs)?”
What is the White House Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)?
What if there are no DACs near my project or within the jurisdiction of my program?
Additional Justice40 Initiative Resources
A “covered program” is a Federal Government program that falls in the scope of the J40 Initiative because it includes investments that can benefit disadvantaged communities across one or more of the following seven areas:
All J40-covered programs are required to engage in stakeholder consultation and ensure the meaningful involvement of community stakeholders in determining program benefits. Additionally, covered programs are required to report data on benefits directed to DACs.
The U.S. Office of Economic Impact and Diversity has identified eight policy priorities to help guide the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) implementation of the J40 Initiative:
The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Interim Implementation Guidance defines a “community” as either: (1) Geographic: a group of individuals living in geographic proximity (such as census tract), or (2) Common condition: a geographically dispersed set of individuals (such as migrant workers or Native Americans), where either type of group experiences common conditions.
For the “geographic” definition of community, DOE recognizes as disadvantaged those census tracts identified by the White House Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).
A community is considered a DAC if it is in a census tract that is (1) at or above the threshold for one or more environmental, climate, or other burdens (see below), and (2) at or above the threshold for an associated socioeconomic burden. Additionally, a census tract that is surrounded by disadvantaged communities and is at or above the 50% percentile for low income is also considered disadvantaged.
The White House Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) is an interactive mapping tool used to identify DACs that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The CEJST features a user-friendly, searchable map that identifies disadvantaged communities across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Nationwide, the CEJST identifies approximately 27,251 census tracts as disadvantaged.
CEJST considers the following eight categories of burden:
If a federal funding recipient is in an area that does not contain census tracts that have been identified as disadvantaged, then DOE highly recommends those funding recipients seek to understand how historically disadvantaged businesses, minority serving institutions, or community-based organizations may be included in project activities or planning.
Additionally, the funding applicant may also seek to emphasize engagement with communities experiencing disproportionally high energy burden or pollution compared to surrounding areas to ensure project and planning efforts are being meaningfully and equitably distributed to all communities.
White House Justice40 Overview – The White House’s informational hub for the J40 Initiative.
Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad – An outline of the full Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.
DOE General Guidance for Justice40 Implementation – A comprehensive document detailing the purpose, principles, and implementation strategies of the J40 Initiative as they relate to BIL/IRA funding opportunities.
DOE Justice40 Covered Programs – An overview of all the current DOE programs that are considered “Covered Programs” under the J40 Initiative.
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool – The interactive Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).
Related Topics: climate coastal energy, energy, environmental justice, faq, federal funding, funding, incentives, infrastructure, justice40, questions and answers
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