This $1,000,000 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program (CFDA 66.312) will fund the Minnesota Department of Commerce to co-develop a Justice40 Leadership Academy and establish a demonstration Community-Based Navigator Program.
The primary activities include:
Developing an 18-month Justice40 Leadership Academy to build a community of practice between state agencies and community-based organizations (CBOs) on integrating environmental justice principles into state government operations.
Establishing a Community-Based Navigator Program to provide information on available multi-agency climate and energy assistance programs, along with referral and application support for community members.
These activities aim to deepen connections between government and CBOs, increase equitable access to climate and energy funding, and build Minnesota's capacity to integrate environmental justice considerations across state government programs and services.