White House Releases version 1.0 of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in partnership with the U.S. Digital Service (USDS), released version 1.0 of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) on November 22, 2022. Federal agencies will use the tool to help identify disadvantaged communities that will benefit from programs included in President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative. The Justice40 Initiative seeks to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of investments in climate, clean energy, and related areas to disadvantaged communities that are overburdened by pollution and underserved by infrastructure and other basic services.

This brief webinar provides an opportunity for members of the public to learn about changes to the tool made in response to the extensive feedback received on the beta version. CEQ had released a beta version of the CEJST in February 2022 in order to solicit feedback from Federal agencies, Tribal Nations, State and local governments, the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, environmental justice stakeholders, and the public. The version 1.0 changes to the tool include new datasets, an updated methodology, the identification of lands of Federally Recognized Tribes, including Alaska Native Villages, improvements to the site experience, and more.