Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) was created pursuant to Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. EO 14008 required the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to create a “geospatial Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool… and interactive maps highlighting disadvantaged communities.” A beta version of the CEJST was published along with the WHEJAC Recommendations to identify disadvantaged communities for the Justice40 Initiative. Communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution are identified. The tool was published in beta on February 23, 2022 along with a Request For Information. The comment period closed on May 25, 2022. Once an updated version of the tool is created, CEQ, OMB, and CPO will jointly issue new guidance.

The tool takes in several inputs and identifies a census tract as disadvantaged for Justice40 purposes if “the census tract is above the threshold for one or more environmental or climate indicators” and its corresponding socioeconomic indicator. The eight indicators are as follows:

  • Climate change
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • High expected agricultural loss rate; or
      • High expected building loss rate; or
      • High expected population loss rate
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Clean energy and energy efficiency
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • High energy burden; or
      • High PM2.5 in the air
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Clean transit
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • High diesel particulate matter exposure; or
      • High traffic proximity and volume
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Affordable and sustainable housing
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • High lead paint; and
      • Low median home value or high housing cost burden
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Reduction and remediation of legacy pollution
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • Proximity to hazardous waste facilities; or
      • Proximity to National Priorities List sites; or
      • Proximity to Risk Management Plan facilities
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • High wastewater discharge
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Health burdens
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • High asthma; or
      • High diabetes; or
      • High heart disease; or
      • Low life expectancy
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low income; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education
  • Training and workforce development
    • Environmental/Climate Indicators
      • Low median income; or
      • Linguistic isolation; or
      • High unemployment; or
      • High poverty rate
    • Socioeconomic Indicators
      • Low high school degree attainment; and
      • Low enrollment in higher education

Publication Date: May 2021

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Resource Types:

  • Mapping tool

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