Biden Establishes Office of Environmental Justice

President Joe Biden signing an executive order in the Rose Garden
U.S. President Joe Biden signs an executive order that would create the White House Office of Environmental Justice, in the Rose Garden of the White House April 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Why you can trust us

Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

President Biden on Friday signed an executive order creating a new Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) within the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The OEJ directs federal agencies to work closer and earlier with communities affected by pipelines, highways, chemical plants, and waste sites to address centuries of racist policies that have imposed disproportionate pollution upon BlackIndigenous, and other people of color. “Environmental justice will be the mission of the entire government woven directly into how we work with state, local, tribal and territorial governments,” Biden said.

The creation of the White House OEJ marks a major victory for environmental justice advocates. “Today’s executive order is the result of nearly two decades of organizing by the environmental justice movement,” Ozawa Bineshi Albert, co-ED of the Climate Justice Alliance, a national nonprofit representing 89 rural and urban community-based EJ groups and supporting networks, said in a statement. “This win belongs to our communities who have been on the frontlines of the climate crisis, creating solutions, building local power, and engaging lawmakers for decades.” 

For a Deeper Dive

APE&E NewsNPRUSA TodayPoliticoCNNThe HillFox NewsReutersNBCAxiosThe HillNew York TimesCNBCThe RootPolitico Pro

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.

Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

    By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

    Read More

    Nearly Half of U.S. Population Breathes Unhealthy Air, American Lung Association Warns
    In its latest State of the Air report for 2025,
    By Paige Bennett
    Researchers ‘Shocked’ to Find Toxic Chemicals in Common Children’s Mattresses
    Researchers have found evidence that suggests alarming levels of toxic
    By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
    Scientists Find Microplastics in Ovarian Follicular Fluid for the First Time
    Microplastics have been found in human brains, placentas, testicular tissues,
    By Paige Bennett

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Latest Articles