General Guidance on using the Environmental Justice Framework
The Environmental Justice Framework is designed to be a practical and accessible tool for both public and private sectors. It encourages flexible, context-sensitive approaches rather than rigid procedures, and supports the use of existing systems like Equality Impact Assessments (public sector) or the Plan-Do-Check-Act Deming model (private sector).
Key principles include:
- Promoting co-production where feasible.
- Valuing community engagement and participant time.
- Building trust by engaging communities in their own spaces.
- Supporting the business case for environmentally just practices.
Private Sector Responsibilities:
- Increase awareness of environmental justice and inequalities.
- Engage communities in environmental sustainability decision making.
- Collect data on environmental impacts on marginalised groups.
- Communicate the business benefits of environmentally just decision making.
- Share global insights around environmental justice nationally.
- Collaborate with public bodies to develop equitable environmental measures.
Public Sector Responsibilities:
- Enhance understanding of environmental justice.
- Strengthen ties with marginalised communities around environmental sustainability and environmental inequalities.
- Align communication across EDI, planning, and sustainability functions.
- Empower communities through knowledge sharing.
- Focus on intersectional and socio-economic impacts of environmental sustainability decision making.
- Partner with private sector for just environmental sustainability efforts.
