CA Environmental Justice Alliance Calls on Governor to Partner with Communities for Equitable Climate, COVID Recovery
Californians “need investment in community resilience and a Just Recovery”
Los Angeles, CA | March 11, 2021 — In his third state of the state address, Governor Newsom addressed the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 and economic crises on communities of color and low income communities in the past year.
Gladys Limon, Executive Director of the California Environmental Justice Alliance, issued the following statement:
The state of the state is one of staggering inequality. In 2021, there are unacceptable disparities in Californians’ access to shelter, power, clean water, healthy air, and safe, family-sustaining jobs. As the Governor pointed out, the fastest way through the pandemic — and the only conscionable route — is to invest in the wellbeing of Black, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, immigrant and all frontline communities.
Governor Newsom, decision-makers and communities throughout our state must seize on the critical opportunity to build a Just Recovery. It’s time to address structural inequities with bold solutions — such as forgiving utility debt, reforming our state’s broken toxics regulator, ending neighborhood oil drilling, and investing in community resilience in advance of climate disasters. As the climate crisis worsens, we must center justice and equity and work toward a transformational just transition that ensures all communities can thrive.
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The California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) is a statewide, community-led alliance that works to achieve environmental justice by advancing policy solutions. We unite the powerful local organizing of our members in the communities most impacted by environmental hazards — low-income communities and communities of color — to create comprehensive opportunities for change at a statewide level. We build the power of communities across California to create policies that will alleviate poverty and pollution. Together, we are growing the statewide movement for environmental health and social justice. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
