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. 

Our DEIJ Steering Committee works to create and maintain an equitable workplace environment that promotes a diverse and inclusive culture through internally directed work. To do so, the DEIJ Steering Committee identifies ways in which white supremacy, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, ageism, and ableism are embedded in PennFuture’s policies, procedures, and culture so that they can be dismantled. 

In 2020, PennFuture created a temporary committee to create the scaffolding for the standing committee formed in 2022. The Steering Committee’s primary focus is to ensure the long-term sustainability and efficacy of our internal DEIJ work. These efforts include aspects of ongoing learning and discussion, as well as internal policies and procedures.

Here are some PennFuture initiatives resulting from the Steering Committee’s efforts:

• Collaborative DEIJ training and learning opportunities for the staff members of PennFuture and our strategic partner Conservation Voters of PA.
• Development of a cultural and historical events calendar to ensure consideration and celebration of important dates and mindfulness when scheduling meetings and events.
• Implementation of an inclusive work-from-home policy accommodating the diverse needs of staff.
• Updates to organizational hiring practices such as expanding outreach for open positions and modernizing our interview practices and onboarding procedures to align with best DEIJ norms.
• Creation of the Culture and Operations Manager role to prioritize this work and serve as a foundational member of the Steering Committee.
• Development of a five-year strategic action plan as part of the organization's 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.

The Steering Committee outlined additional work in its five-year action plan, which is summarized in the graphic slideshow below.

Website DEIJ by PennFuture Account

Please contact info@pennfuture.org with questions or feedback regarding PennFuture’s DEIJ Steering Committee.

• Conservation Voters of PA Racial Justice Resource Hub
• PennFuture Environmental Rights Amendment Webpage