Input Stories

New equity plans will be rolled out by more than 90 federal agencies, according to E&E News.

The background: The new investments are connected to an executive order President Biden signed on the first day of his presidency to address “entrenched disparities in our laws and public policies.”

The president says: “It’s not a one-year project, it’s a generational commitment.”

• According to Biden, the investments will advance environmental justice, protect hourly workers, eliminate the racial gap in house ownership, help women and minority owned businesses, increase access to transportation and improve maternal and child health.

The EPA: As part of the new investments, the EPA will develop a framework for evaluating the effects of its decisions on underserved communities.

• The agency further plans to research its impact on environmental and social stressors like noise pollution and poverty, while also working to better use its legal authority to enforce federal Civil Rights laws.

The Department of the Interior: The Interior’s equity action plan includes a long to-do list that ranges from partnering with more nonprofits to collecting data on national park visitors.

The Department of Energy: The DOE plans to address gaps in data collection, increase opportunities for new applicants to access DOE funding opportunities and reduce delays for low-income households seeking weatherization assistance.

• The DOE also announced a $102 million commitment in funding and support for historically Black colleges and universities.

Our move: In 2020, manufacturers committed to taking 50,000 tangible actions to increase equity and parity for underrepresented communities.

• The NAM and The Manufacturing Institute are leading the effort to create 300,000 pathways to job opportunities for Black people and all people of color by 2025.

Check out our Pledge for Action and consider participating in this effort if you aren’t already.