What does the Monitor and Review stage entail?
The Monitor and Review stage ensures that environmental sustainability measures developed using the Environmental Justice Framework remain effective and relevant and that potential evolving impacts are monitored. Rather than marking the end of the process, this stage emphasises ongoing evaluation.
Environmental justice isn’t a one-time action—it’s a continuous cycle. That’s why every environmental sustainability measure developed and assessed under this Framework should be:
- Regularly reviewed by your organisation
- Monitored with input from the Lived Experience Lead, and
- Adapted when needed, using feedback and lived experience around evolving and remaining impacts
The Explore stage of the Framework is designed to support this ongoing process through continuing conversations with marginalised communities. It encourages opportunities for regular reflection and updates, ideally through co-production—working together with those directly impacted by environmental issues.
To make this process clear and actionable, all monitoring and review steps should be outlined in your Environmental Justice Template. This ensures transparency, accountability, and long-term impact.
The Lived Experience Lead plays a key role in the Monitoring and Review of environmental sustainability measures developed under the Environmental Justice Framework. Their responsibilities include:
- Regular scrutiny and monitoring of implemented measures alongside the organisation.
- Ensuring the process remains cyclical and adaptive, not one-off.
- Supporting the Explore stage to enable continuous review and co-production of environmental sustainability measures.
- Contributing to the development and oversight of the Environmental Justice Template, which outlines the Monitoring and Review process.
Tool: Environmental Justice Template
The Environmental Justice Template is the tool through which to record the different stages of the Environmental Justice Framework.
Within the template, there is space to record each stage. These notes and reflections can then be returned to and reviewed at the end of the process.
Monitoring and Review Checklist
Use the following questions to guide your ongoing review of environmental sustainability measures developed under the Environmental Justice Framework:
- Have you clearly documented the environmental sustainability measure and its intended outcomes?
- Is there a timeline in place for regular reviews of environmental sustainability measure to assess remaining and/or emerging impacts on marginalised communities?
- Who is responsible for monitoring this environmental sustainability measure?
- Has any Lived Experience Lead been involved in the review process?
- Are you actively seeking feedback from those who continue to be directly affected by the measure?
- Are you tracking the right indicators to measure any potential impacts of the environmental sustainability measure?
- How will you identify any unintended consequences, impacts or barriers on marginalised communities?
- Have you revisited the Environmental Justice Framework to reflect on what’s working and what’s not as part of the process?
- What changes or improvements have been made based on your evaluation of the process?
- How are you documenting lessons learned in applying the Environmental Justice Framework for future planning?
Are the details of monitoring and reviewing recorded in the Environmental Justice Template?
Applying the Monitoring and Review stage to the ‘Green Streets’ Initiative
This scenario shows how the Monitoring and Review stage of the framework might be applied.
Description of the proposed measure: The local council of a mid-sized town is planning to implement a ‘Green Streets’ initiative. The project involves converting several car-dominated streets into pedestrian-friendly green corridors with trees, seating, bike lanes, and community gardens. The goal is to reduce air pollution, encourage active travel, and improve public health. The proposed streets run through a diverse, low-income neighbourhood with a high proportion of elderly residents, disabled individuals, and ethnic minority communities.
It is tempting to consider that the implementation of the ‘Green Streets’ initiative—transforming car-dominated streets into pedestrian-friendly green corridors—marks the completion of the environmental sustainability effort. However, true environmental justice requires that this is not seen as the final step.
To ensure the initiative remains equitable, inclusive, and effective over time, it is vital that robust Monitoring and Review mechanisms are established. These mechanisms should be embedded from the outset and maintained throughout the life of the project.
The targeted neighbourhood is home to diverse, low-income populations, including elderly residents, disabled individuals, and ethnic minority communities. These groups may experience both unique benefits and unintended burdens from the changes. For example:
- Elderly or disabled residents may face mobility challenges during construction.
- Cultural or language barriers may have limited participation in initial consultations.
- Community gardens may not be accessible or relevant to all groups without inclusive design.
To address these concerns, the environmental justice process should be cyclical, not linear. This means:
- Regular monitoring of air quality, traffic patterns, and public health indicators.
- Community feedback loops to assess how residents are experiencing the changes.
- Regular responsive adaptation of measures based on lived experience, especially from underrepresented voices.
Any Lived Experience Lead should continue to:
- Act as a liaison between the council and the community.
- Ensure that monitoring includes qualitative insights from residents.
- Champion co-production by involving community members in ongoing decision-making around the Green Streets initiative.
The Explore stage of the Environmental Justice Framework should remain active beyond implementation of the Green Streets initiative. It can:
- Identify emerging issues (e.g. gentrification, accessibility gaps).
- Support iterative improvements (e.g. adding more seating, adjusting bike lane design).
- Ensure that the initiative evolves with the community’s needs.
All details of this Monitoring and Review process—including timelines, responsible parties, community engagement strategies, and metrics—should be clearly documented in the Environmental Justice Template. This ensures transparency, accountability, and a shared understanding of how success will be measured and maintained.
