Equity and Wellbeing

How are environmental justice and building practices and materials connected?

Environmental justice is a common thread across the three impact areas.

Embodied carbon

The burden of climate change impacts, including by building material production, is felt most by communities that have been disadvantaged through a legacy of injustices like redlining, particularly low income and communities of color.

Exposure to toxicants

Toxicants can have impacts throughout the life cycle of building materials. Along this life span workers, builders, and building occupants can have risk of exposure to toxicants in building materials. Higher risk jobs tend to have higher representation of low income and communities of color.

Forced labor

In the building material supply chain, people are subject to unfair labor practices including forced labor, unpaid labor or modern slavery, and child labor. Children, low income, and communities of color, often in other parts of the world, are at most risk.

Opportunities to address environmental justice in building materials

Environmental injustice in the built environment also extends beyond these highlighted issues. Historic and current practices like redlining and disinvestment lead to health, economic, and other compounding impacts such as increased temperature in formerly redlined neighborhoods, lack of essential infrastructure, and displacement and gentrification.

In 2022, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4077. This bill established the Environmental Justice Council within the Governor’s office and mandated certain agencies and other institutions to develop an Oregon-specific environmental justice mapping tool. To continue, and expand, environmental justice work, there are a number of things that could be done.

Set mandatory requirements for state agencies

Mandate environmental justice be integrated in government decision-making including legislation, rulemaking, permitting, codes, and programs.

Expand funding

Allocated additional funding for community outreach and designate seats on all boards, councils, and other decision-making bodies
for community members who represent environmental justice communities.

Accountability

Establish a system of accountability for state agencies to ensure actions conducted on the state’s behalf positively impact people’s lived experience and address deficiencies.

Contact

Amanda Ingmire
Architect and Senior Policy Analyst, Built Environment Program
971-263-0826

Rita Haberman
Built Environment Specialist
970-357-8660

Learn more

Get more information about the impacts of building material choices in our brochure, Impacts of Housing Materials (and opportunities to address the impacts).