Environmental Equity and Justice

Recognizing the ways that less-privileged communities, frontline communities and communities-of-color have been disproportionately harmed by environmental pollution and granted limited access to environmental goods and services, our projects direct attention to the need for more equitable and just solutions.

State of Deception Report Released on Mining and Water Rights in El Salvador
January 23, 2024
Robin Broad
On Thursday, January 11, MiningWatch Canada hosted a press release event presenting the findings from the ‘State of Deception’ fact-finding report on the detained water defenders, mining, and the state of human rights under the Bukele regime in El Salvador. The report is co-authored by Robin Broad, a research professor in Environment, Development, and Health […]
COP28 DC Climate Hub
December 7, 2023
Kyra Jones
On Thursday, December 7th, CECE, The School of International Service, and We Don’t Have Time cohosted the COP28 DC Climate Hub. Policymakers, climate activists, journalists, and academic experts came together to discuss what is needed to ensure a just and equitable climate transition. This multi-panel event included: Ambassadors Up-Close: COP28 Reflections, The Power of Storytelling, […]
Six Students Awarded the Environmental Justice Community Lawyering Fellowship
December 4, 2023
William John Snape, III
Since 2019, American University Washington College of Law’s Program on Environmental and Energy Law (PEEL) has channeled a portion of its donations to support valuable opportunities for students, enabling them to engage in impactful study and work related to Environmental Justice. The initiative’s primary mission is to energize the next generation of AUWCL community lawyers […]
Article: How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference
November 28, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
Nature has just published “How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference.” By CECE Director Dana R. Fisher, Oscar Berglund, and Colin J. Davis. The piece integrates Fisher’s research on climate protests and the growing radical flank in climate activism with Berglund and Davis’ work on public responses to climate action, which […]
CECE Announces Inaugural Faculty Research Incubator Grants
November 25, 2023
Malini Ranganathan, Rosalind Donald, Scott Freeman, Michael Alonzo
This fall, the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity commenced the CECE Faculty Research Incubator Program: a new funding program designed to launch exciting, interdisciplinary work on the environment conducted by faculty teams from programs across campus. By the end of the academic year, teams are expected to have built out their projects, piloted the […]
Carbon Removal Justice Fellows Program
November 14, 2023
Simon Nicholson, Jenn Brown
This past July, eleven fellows in the Carbon Removal Justice Fellows Program convened for two weeks of intensive discussions, launching a year of continued engagement on the equity and justice dimensions of carbon removal policy. Their aim? To challenge this emerging industry to break away from the patterns of environmental injustice that have characterized emissions-generating […]
The Climate Story Gaps Project: Locating Untold Climate Intersections in Washington, D.C.
November 14, 2023
Malini Ranganathan, Rosalind Donald
The first project of the inaugural Faculty Research Incubator Program is entitled “The Climate Story Gaps Project: Locating Untold Climate Intersections in Washington, D.C.”. The research team is made up of professors from both the School of Communication and the School of International Service. Dr. Rosalind Donald (School of Communication), Dr. Malini Ranganathan (SIS), Dr. […]
Remote Sensing and Knowledge Co-Production in Northern Haiti
November 14, 2023
Scott Freeman, Michael Alonzo
The second research project from the Faculty Research Incubator Program comes from a collaboration across the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of International Service. Entitled “Remote Sensing and Knowledge Co-Production in Northern Haiti,” this project by Dr. Michael Alonzo (CAS) and Dr. Scott Freeman (SIS) focuses on co-producing knowledge about land and environment […]
CECE Hosted Historic Farm Bill Summit and Briefing
May 1, 2023
Kyra Jones
From April 30 - May 2, 2023 the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF), Berkeley Food Institute (BFI), American University’s Center for Environment, Community, and Equity (CECE) and Antiracist Research Policy Center (ARPC) hosted Pointing the Farm Bill Toward Racial Justice, a Farm Bill Summit & Briefing. The summit was a historic convening of farmers, advocates, policy-makers, scholars, students, and the general […]
Learn More
CECE Director discusses findings from the March to End Fossil Fuels
October 25, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
During Climate Week 2023 in New York City, CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher, spoke with Environmental Educator & Creator of QueerBrownVegan, Isaias Hernandez about her work around climate activism. The conversation took place at the We Don’t Have Time-coordinated Climate Hub and included the findings from her survey of participants at the March to End Fossil […]
CECE Director talks US Open climate protest with TMZ Live
October 25, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
In the build up to the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit in NYC in September, climate activists worked to raise awareness of the climate crisis through numerous non-violent acts of civil disobedience. Particularly memorable actions took place on Thursday, September 7th, when three activists delayed a game at the US Open in NYC with […]
Vox’s Today Explained Podcast with CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher
October 25, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher, spoke with Noelle King from Vox about how the radical flank is growing in the climate movement in the US. The interview appeared on the Today Explained Podcast on September 26th. It was also written up into this piece: How radical should you be when you’re trying to save the […]