EPA Cancels $50M Climate Justice Grant: What This Means for Biden’s Environmental Agenda

The Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) provides grants to local groups tackling climate change. Recently, the group faced setbacks when the Biden administration delayed a $50 million grant, partly due to CJA’s calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict. This delay may have made it easier for the new Trump administration to cancel the grant altogether.

Under the new leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin announced the cancellation of the grant. He highlighted that the CJA advocates for “climate justice through a Free Palestine,” a stance he disagrees with. This decision means that communities most affected by climate change, particularly Black and brown neighborhoods, will not receive essential support.

The grant was part of a larger $600 million fund intended for the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, which aims to address environmental issues. Smaller grants from this funding would have helped organizations work on critical issues like clean water access and wildfire management across the western U.S. and tribal areas. However, this particular grant was the last one from the program still awaiting distribution when Biden left office.

Despite efforts from EPA staff to advocate for the grant, citing concerns about CJA’s treatment due to its political stance, the funding remained unallocated. Progressive lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senators Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey, also urged the EPA to release the funds, fearing they might disappear.

Now that the funding is canceled, CJA has abandoned its plans to assist local communities. They criticized the Biden administration for breaking its promises to those most impacted by the climate crisis, stating the delays enabled the Trump administration’s decision to scrap the grant. This has left many vulnerable communities without access to crucial climate support.

In contrast to the $50 million grant, Donald Trump’s administration views environmental justice as expendable, akin to other budget cuts. Most of the $20 billion already distributed by the EPA for climate initiatives is likely to stay intact, particularly because it targets greenhouse gas reductions and supports poor communities through the Justice40 initiative. However, if the Trump EPA tries to claw back those funds, it may face significant legal challenges.