Tackling climate change requires concerted coordinated government action as well as an informed and collaborative effort by individuals. One of the goals for EJ 2020 is to collaborate with partners and expand our impact in communities with environmental justice concerns. Integral to expanding that impact is to include the perspectives of young people in the conversations and thought processes about how overburdened communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change and share in the distribution of opportunities that enhance resiliency.

Charge

EPA requested that the NEJAC provide recommendations to assist the Agency in developing best practices for addressing climate change concerns, as highlighted from a youth perspective. Specifically, the NEJAC is requested to identify best practices to address:

1. How can EPA effectively engage with youth on climate change and adaptation planning using new resources and tools designed to help communities become more resilient and better protect themselves from the impacts of climate change? What activities and mechanisms (e.g. policy, guidance, or protocol) should EPA consider to authentically engage and work collaboratively with youth, and other interested stakeholders, to identify and address climate change impacts on overburdened and vulnerable communities?
2. What best practices, including efforts to address the compounding health vulnerabilitiesbrought on by climate change, can be provided using youth driven projects from across theUnited States from which results-oriented recommendations can be drawn?

Read the NEJAC Recommendations from Youth Perspectives on Climate Change Report.

Additional Resources

• Announcing the Youth Leaders for EPA’s Youth Perspectives on Climate Change Work Group, By Mustafa Ali
• The Pope’s Visit – Renewing the Call to Act on Climate, By Administrator Gina McCarthy
• From the Lunch Counter to the Kitchen Table: Make Your Voice Heard on Climate Justice, By Makara Rumley