Environmental Justice and Policy

Catalog description

Environmental justice, as defined by the U.S. EPA, refers to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all individuals-regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability-in agency decision-making and federal activities that impact human health and the environment. This principle ensures that all people are protected from disproportionate and adverse effects on their health and environment, including risks related to climate change, cumulative environmental burdens, and the legacy of racism and systemic barriers. It also emphasizes equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment for living, playing, working, learning, growing, worshipping, and engaging in cultural and subsistence practices (U.S. EPA, 2024). This hands-on seminar course explores key topics, policies, and themes in environmental justice, focusing on the disproportionate impacts of climate change and related adaptation and mitigation efforts, particularly on vulnerable groups, communities of color, and Indigenous communities. Additionally, the course examines policy drivers and levers that can create opportunities for meaningful change in the future. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)