Environmental Justice

North Carolina is the birthplace of the environmental justice movement and has a rich history of community advocacy, but more work is needed to advance environmental justice within the State. Governor Cooper has taken a whole-of-government approach to advance environmental justice efforts and help improve the quality of life for all North Carolina communities. 

Governor Cooper's Executive Order No. 246 and Executive Order No. 292 direct various actions to advance environmental justice in North Carolina. EO 246 directs Cabinet agencies to consider environmental justice when taking actions related to climate change, resilience, and clean energy, and to identify an environmental justice leads to serve as the point person for agency environmental justice efforts. EO 292, issued in October of 2023 reestablished the Secretary of Environmental Quality's Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board as the Governor's Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The Council is empowered to be a forum for whole-of-government environmental justice concerns. The Order directs Cabinet agencies to develop environmental justice goals and measurable outcomes, the development of an Environmental Justice Hub, including a statewide Environmental Justice Mapping Tool and additional information about environmental justice resources across state government. The Order also directs the Governor's Office and Cabinet agencies to incorporate environmental justice considerations into their policies and programs to the extent permitted by law. 

Environmental Justice Leads

Pursuant to Section 7 of E.O. 246, each cabinet agency has identified an environmental justice and equity lead. The names and contact information for the EJ Leads are available here.

Governor's Environmental Justice Advisory Council

Executive order 292 reestablished the Secretary of Environmental Quality's Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board as the Governor's Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The Council serves as a forum for whole-of-government environmental justice concerns and is tasked with providing guidance and recommendations to the Governor and State agencies to advance environmental justice. The Council consist of a mixture of community members and state agency employees. The Board was first established in 2018 by then Secretary Michael Regan, who now serves as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and continued its work under Secretary Elizabeth Biser.

Environmental Justice Goals and Measurable Outcomes

Section Seven of Executive Order 292 directs cabinet agencies to develop at least three draft EJ goals and measurable outcomes. The draft goals and outcomes are available for a 60-day public commenting period. Following public comment, the Council will provide feedback to the Cabinet agencies to consider as they finalize goals and outcomes, incorporating public feedback as practicable and feasible.

Public Participation Plans

Section 8 of E.O. 246 directs each cabinet agency to create a public participation plan. Those plans are available at the following links.

Community Input on Environmental Justice

Section 9 of E.O. 246 directs the Governor’s Office and cabinet agency leadership to seek public input on additional executive action to advance environmental justice. In 2022, the Governor’s Office held an online public listening session and also hosted a two-day workshop to educate EJ Leads and other cabinet agency personnel.

The Governor’s Office conducted public listening sessions on March 25, 2023 in Clinton, NC and June 17, 2023 in Charlotte, NC.

Executive Order 292 directs the Environmental Justice Advisory Council to develop a public participation plan informed by stakeholder input. The plan shall include best practices for community engagement, meaningful dialogue, and efficient mechanisms to receive and incorporate public input into policies and programming. Learn more about the public participation plan here

 

Governor's Environmental Justice Advisory Council Report

Read the Report

Environmental Justice Council Meetings

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  • Agenda
  • Meeting Materials

William G. Ross Jr. Environmental Conference Center

NC Museum of Natural Sciences Nature Research Center

11 W Jones St

Raleigh, NC 27601

William G. Ross Jr. Environmental Conference Center

NC Museum of Natural Sciences Nature Research Center

11 W Jones St

Raleigh, NC 27601

Wayne County Community College 

Walnut Building Room 101

3000 Wayne Memorial Dr

Goldsboro, NC 27534 

Halifax County Community College 

Building 400 Room 401

100 College Dr.

Weldon, NC 27890 

Stanly Community College Webb Student Center 

141 College Drive

Albemarle, NC 28001

Albemarle Building Room 240

325 N. Salisbury St. 

Raleigh, NC 27603

  • Agenda
  • Meeting Materials
  • Video Recording

Subcommittees

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Chair: Courtney Woods
Duties:
  • Work with the N.C. Department of Information Technology's project team on developing the Environmental Justice Hub and Mapping Tool.  
  • Report updates on the EJ Hub and Mapping tool to the full Council.
  • In consultation with the Council, provide feedback to DIT's questions regarding the project.
  • In consultation with the Council, provide recommendations to DIT to help inform project development.  

Chair: Sherri White-Williamson
Duties:
  • Consult with the N.C. Office of Strategic Partnerships, engage with academia, prioritizing HBCUs and other MSIs, and other research institutions to research cumulative impacts.
  • Develop recommendations for creating a framework and methodology to assess cumulative impacts in North Carolina.  

Chair: Ebony Pittman
Duties:
  • Develop a community engagement plan for the Council and subcommittees. This could be adapted from existing plans.
  • Solicit input from communities with EJ concerns.  
  • In consultation with the Council, develop further guidance for state agencies on best practices for identifying and responding to EJ communities.  

Chair: Marian Johnson Thompson
Duties:
  • Recommend a comprehensive EJ training plan for state agencies that the N.C. Office of State Human Resources can make available to state employees.
  • Consider whether there should be a recommendation for training to local governments and local planning boards.  

Chair: Jennifer Mundt 
Duties:
  • Develop a framework for completing the October 15, 2024, report. The report should (1) identify and make recommendations for advancing EJ, (2) describe activities of the council, (3) identify EJ policies and programs in state agencies, and (4) describe agency implementation of their public participation plans.  
  • Establish and manage timelines for completion of draft sections.
  • Establish and manage review protocols within the Council. 
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