Campaigns
For over thirty years, the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance has been at the forefront of City and State campaigns to advance Environmental Justice. The following initiatives are examples of the campaigns that structure NYC-EJA’s research and advocacy.
NYC-EJA is a co-founder of multiple City and State-wide resiliency coalitions and campaigns, dedicated to identifying strategies to reduce the disproportionate climate change vulnerabilities faced by low income communities and communities of color. Our bi-annual NYC Climate Justice Agenda is anchored in this work – our Agendas both analyze how mayoral and gubernatorial administrations address climate justice, and offer community-led solutions to reduce disparities and advance resiliency.
Long championed by NYC-EJA and sister coalition OWN, the Solid Waste Management Plan (or SWMP) adopted by Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council in 2006 was a sweeping overhaul of the City’s waste export system that substitutes a polluting truck-based system confined to a handful of overburdened communities to a decentralized marine and rail-based export system.
In 2010, NYC-EJA launched our Waterfront Justice Project, NYC’s first citywide community-based resiliency campaign. When the City of New York initiated its overhaul of the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan (Vision 2020), NYC-EJA began our advocacy campaign to convince City Hall to reform waterfront designations called Significant Maritime Industrial Areas, or SMIA’s. Now, we work at the forefront of coastal resilience planning in the region on projects such as the US Army Corps of Engineers NY-NJ Harbor and Tributaries Study.
NYC-EJA has collaborated with several partners to ensure that energy planning and economic development in NYC are conducted equitably, and that low-income and communities of color not continue to be disproportionately burdened.
NYC-EJA is working with our members and allies in transportation, environment and labor advocacy on several key transportation equity campaigns; from the push for an electric bus transition, to the adoption and implementation of congestion pricing and finding equitable solutions to closing New York City’s transit gaps.
For years, NYC-EJA has worked to minimize the disproportionately negative effects of extreme heat on communities of color and reduce the urban heat island effect. Our work focuses on improving air quality and reducing co-pollutant emissions to address the compounding health impacts of heat and bad air quality while working to maximize “cooling” strategies, including expanding the urban forest, increasing access to cooling centers, and advocating for increased home energy assistance.
The NYC Climate Justice Hub is a transformative partnership between NYC-EJA and the City University of New York (CUNY) to advance climate solutions generated by frontline communities. The Hub aims to expand climate and environmental research, policy analysis, and advocacy resources for the NYC communities most exposed to and burdened by climate and environmental risks. The Hub also offers multiple opportunities for CUNY students to learn and work alongside NYC environmental and climate justice leaders trailblazing equitable community solutions.
NYC-EJA has been at the forefront of City and State campaigns to advance Environmental Justice for decades. Take a look at some of our previous campaigns here.