Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Human stories are at the heart of environmental and climate change mitigation advocacy. Throughout U.S. history, communities of color led environmental justice movements and fought against polluters. However, these communities historically have not held positions of power in governmental agencies and environmental organizations. 

While we are not an environmental justice organization, we at PennFuture strongly oppose any efforts to condemn specific communities — far too often Black and other communities of color – to bear the brunt of industrial pollution, climate change, and ecological disruption. 

PennFuture believes environmental protection, conservation, and climate change mitigation succeed when we employ leadership and ideas from diverse groups and give agency to underrepresented populations. In valuing diversity and inclusion within environmental matters, we inherently embrace a broader vision of a just and equitable society. 
We commit ourselves to building an organization that represents the diversity of Pennsylvania, fostering greater diversity in environmental leadership, and improving our understanding of the vital issues that matter to the communities we serve and intend to serve. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that environmental initiatives are accessible and available to all residents of Pennsylvania. 

For the Environmental Rights Amendment to be real, it must apply to everyone equally in the Commonwealth.