Press Release - Readout of Listening Session with Environmental Justice Leaders

In their first joint meeting since nomination, Interior Secretary-designee Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary-designee Jennifer Granholm, EPA Administrator-designee Michael Regan, and CEQ chair-designee Brenda Mallory held a listening session Monday with environmental justice leaders from across the country.

The listening session allowed the nominees to hear directly from leaders and advocates about the impact environmental injustices have had on their communities and how they can work together to help enact the president-elect's bold, whole-of-government approach to combating these injustices.

The nominees reiterated the commitment that President-elect Biden has made to address environmental injustice, and shared that building back better requires us to focus on equity. They acknowledged that the communities most burdened by pollution are, historically, hardest-hit during economic downturns — and face slower economic recoveries afterward. The nominees affirmed their and the president-elect's commitment to ensuring that this recovery will be different, starting with engaging early and regularly with the environmental justice community and making historic investments in environmental justice to advance public health and economic opportunity for all.

The conversation also highlighted the economic opportunities that come with combating climate change, including millions of good-paying union jobs and unprecedented clean energy investments in disadvantaged communities. Several of the nominees shared their personal connections to environmental justice, and all reiterated their commitment to continue working with, and listening to, leaders and advocates in the environmental justice community.