Justice 40
Opportunity Navigator
Connecting EJ Communities to J40 Funding for Health, Resilience, and Opportunity.
What is the opportunity navigator?
The Justice 40 Opportunity Navigator is a project of RiverWise andNew Sun Rising. Together, we are working alongside federally designated environmental justice communities to gain greater access to funding that improves community health, climate resilience, and economic opportunity.
Key Metrics
Dollars
8.4 million
raised for projects in southwestern Pennsylvania
Projects
46
projects which have received capacity-building support
Communities
32
environmental-justice communities impacted by J40N
Justice 40
Opportunity Navigator
The Justice 40 Opportunity Navigator is a project of RiverWise and New Sun Rising. Together, we are working alongside federally designated environmental justice communities to gain greater access to funding that improves community health, climate resilience, and economic opportunity.
How does J40N Work Alongside Communities?
The J40N works hand in hand with EJ community leaders to address specific needs of the communities they serve, focusing on areas such as food systems, green space restoration, water conservation, inclusive outdoor programming, and more.
EJ Advisory Groups
Representatives from frontline EJ communities and sustainable development intermediaries inform the program design, participation criteria, and provide technical assistance to project leaders.
Education + Project Development
EJ community projects ignite through educational workshops and are supported to launch via incubator cohorts using a restorative, resilience framework.
Technical Assistance
Project teams receive direct support from the EJ Community Coordinator, EJ Project Manager, NSR, RiverWise, and trusted consultants to apply for grants, manage funds, and implement projects.
Dollars
8.4 million
raised for projects in southwestern Pennsylvania
Projects
46
projects which have received capacity-building support
Communities
32
environmental-justice communities impacted by J40N
Key RiverWise J40N Projects
Each J40N project is led by a backbone organization. Three of RiverWise’s most developed and impactful projects can be found below.
Thanks to DOE funding provided to RiverWise and its partners, rural EJ communities in Beaver County, PA are rapidly accelerating solar adoption.
EJ communities must be organized and prepared to secure community benefits. This practical guide provides resources to make that more possible.
RiverWise believes patient storytelling is key to environmental movement. This growing repository shows what that looks like in southwest PA.
View all J40N supported projects
Each J40N project is led by a backbone organization. Our two most impactful projects can be found below.
SWIPEscroll TO SEE ALL PROJECTS
What is Justice 40 and Environmental Justice?
In recent years, the federal government led by the Biden Harris Administration has made an historic commitment to invest in disadvantaged communities located in Environmental Justice (EJ) census tracts through the Justice 40 initiative.
What is an EJ Community?
The Environmental Justice designation identifies communities that are considered disadvantaged due to exceeding the burden thresholds established in one or more of the following areas: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, waste & wastewater, and workforce development, and an associated socioeconomic burden.
What is Justice 40?
The commitment states that 40 percent of the overall benefits of almost $2 trillion in certain Federal investments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), flow to disadvantaged EJ communities. The categories of investment that fall under Justice 40 are: climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure.
What Does This Mean for Southwestern Pennsylvania??
Justice 40 funding offers a generational opportunity for our region to move towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has designated PA Environmental Justice areas for implementing the Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy.
J40N Footprint - Beaver County and Allegheny County, PA
We’d love to hear from you
Moving communities toward a greater environmental justice requires deep and wide partnerships, continual communication, and principled and strategic leadership. We are always happy to share how we are working to make these things more possible. And, of course, we would love to hear from others who are striving to do the same. You can contact us here to start a conversation.