The NYC Environmental Justice Advisory Board, the Mayor's Office of Climate Policy and Programs, and an interagency working group of 19 city agencies are working on the City's first comprehensive study of environmental justice (EJ). The Environmental Justice for All Report will study the city's Environmental Justice Areas, analyze environmental and climate issues, and identify which communities are being disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens and which are not seeing the benefits of green investments made by the City. The Environmental Justice Report will inform the development of an environmental justice plan. Fill out the Public Comment survey below to ensure the report addresses the real-life issues New Yorkers are facing.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice for All Report by clicking on, or pressing enter on, the topics below.
What is the NYC Environmental Justice for All Report?
In April of 2017, Mayor de Blasio enacted historic environmental justice legislation (Local Law 60 and Local Law 64), requiring city government to conduct a comprehensive study to assess the current state of environmental justice in New York City by determining which neighborhoods are considered "Environmental Justice Areas" and identifying the issues those communities are experiencing. When complete, the NYC Environmental Justice for All Report will serve as a tool to empower New Yorkers living in Environmental Justice Areas by helping the City to better understand and address issues in these communities. The report will also inform the development of an environmental justice plan, which will provide a roadmap for how City agencies should incorporate environmental justice into their decision-making processes and engage with environmental justice communities.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice program
What are the requirements of the NYC Environmental Justice for All Report?
NYC's environmental justice law includes ten requirements for the Environmental Justice Report, listed below. These requirements ensure that major climate, environmental, and health concerns within the city's Environmental Justice Areas are identified and measured, and that existing City programs to address those issues are also examined. We want to hear your feedback on these requirements and any suggestions for how to build upon them to make sure the report fully reflects our city's environmental justice priorities. Please visit the Public Comment section below to leave your feedback.
The NYC Environmental Justice Report is required to include:
Map of NYC's Environmental Justice Areas
NYC's environmental justice law defines “Environmental Justice Areas” as low-income or minority communities located in the City of New York, based on US Census data (ACS 2014-2018). Defining Environmental Justice Area in this way enables the City to start from a baseline of social vulnerability in the Environmental Justice Report. These areas have been and continue to be more vulnerable to potential environmental injustices due to factors including history of systemic racism and inequitable resource distribution. The NYC Environmental Justice for All Report will identify and describe these injustices.
In the map below, you can enter your address to see if you live in an Environmental Justice Area. Note that some areas have been identified as a "potential Environmental Justice Area". This means that the difference between the census data and the Environmental Justice Area thresholds are not statistically significant, therefore we cannot be certain that these areas meet the income or race thresholds to be considered an Environmental Justice Area. The City will also seek to better understand these areas in the Environmental Justice Report.
Attend a Virtual Town Hall to Learn More
The NYC Environmental Justice Advisory Board is hosting virtual town halls from February 2021 to April 2021. You can speak directly to the City's leading advocates and experts on environmental justice about climate, health, and environmental concerns you are experiencing in your neighborhood. See below for information about past and future town halls.
Town Hall #1
February 25, 2021 6:00pm-7:30pm
Register for the Town Hall Meeting
We want to hear from you. Your comments will help ensure the NYC Environmental Justice for All Report is rooted in real-life issues New Yorkers are facing, so make sure your voice is heard! For health and safety concerns that need immediate attention from the City, please call 3-1-1 or file a request online.
To submit a comment, please fill out the form below. You can also email your comments to EJ@climate.nyc.gov or leave us a voice message at 212-788-4144. Comments must be received by April 30, 2021.
Comments will be disclosable under the Freedom of Information Law and may be published anonymously by the Environmental Justice Advisory Board or the Mayor's Office. Publication of comments does not represent an endorsement by the Mayor's Office, the Environmental Justice Advisory Board, or the City of New York.