While climate change affects us all, its impact on communities of color is particularly severe due to decades of environmental injustice and systemic racism. From higher instances of toxic air pollution to food deserts to the lack of affordable housing, communities of color bear the brunt of climate-related impacts with the least amount of resources to adapt and respond. This is the result of decades of unequal, top-down infrastructure funding — the lingering effects of redlining.
But these communities are not just victims of climate change — they are powerful leaders in the fight against it. When it comes to the existential threat posed by climate change, communities of color are drawing on their deep knowledge of their own neighborhoods and their resilience to build a more sustainable future.
While climate action at the global and national levels is essential, funding climate projects at the grassroots allows communities to tap into the unique needs, resources and cultures of the people they serve. With the Biden administration’s federal investments in climate action and the wave of private capital that’s being directed to fund climate initiatives, we must fund community-based climate projects to ensure the communities most in need actually benefit from these investments.
