We must change the balance of power that leaves environmental justice communities overburdened with pollution and without funds for solutions.
The communities most overburdened by pollution and climate change often lack access to the legal, organizing, and technical resources they need to push for systemic change.
This can prevent them from participating in critical conversations about the burdens and solutions that affect their communities every day. To achieve meaningful change, communities must be able to define their own grievances and the path forward to remedy them.
Through community lawyering and organizing, CLF helps meet these needs. We build connections to and trust with communities living on the front lines of climate and environmental harm. And, we recognize that these kinds of collaborations are critical to effectively carry out our work throughout New England.
- Community lawyering: Our legal advocates contribute with skills, knowledge, and strategy to support initiatives identified by and with community members. Our environmental and climate justice partners contribute their local expertise, including on-the-ground, lived experience, to guide decision-making. So, we rely on their deep knowledge of local conditions and historical context to guide our work.
- Community organizing: We build power with our neighbors to identify shared challenges and solutions – increasing our ability to work for systemic change. In communities where there are community organizers, CLF partners with them. In places without community organizers, our team brings together residents and workers to foster expertise from the ground up.
Together, we strive to change the balance of power and decision-making on environmental, climate, and public health issues affecting our communities.
