Environmental Justice and Climate Change Grants

Environmental Justice and Climate Change Grants is sponsored by Washington State Department of Health. Supports initiatives advancing environmental justice and building climate resilience in Washington State.

Environmental Justice and Climate Change Grants | Washington State Department of Health Environmental Justice and Climate Change Grants The 2023-2025 state budget required the state Department of Health (DOH) to establish three new grant programs to advance environmental justice and build climate resilience.

The new grant programs are based on Environmental Justice Council suggestions from their Climate Commitment Act funding recommendations (PDF) and budget priorities (PDF) . These grant programs are funded by the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) , which created a cap-and-invest program to limit carbon emissions. For more information about the CCA, please visit Climate Commitment Act - Washington State Department of Ecology .

As a continuation of the Environmental Justice Community Participation Grant, under the HEAL Community! Fund , $21. 9 million was awarded to Tribes, tribal organizations, overburdened communities, and vulnerable populations.

These grants built capacity for organizations to provide guidance to agencies and the Environmental Justice Council about the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act , as well as provide input to DOH about the Environmental Health Disparities Map . A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) convened and selected 28 community-based organizations to receive a total of $11. 3 million and a total of $10.

1 million to 19 Tribes. Altogether, grants covered 16 of Washington’s 39 counties, encompassing both urban and rural communities. These grants have been funded for the 2025-2027 biennium.

More information about the total grant allocation available for the new biennium will be shared soon.

Grant information for Tribes and tribal organizations Grant information for community-based organizations Community Budgeting for Decarbonization and Climate Resilience DOH selected 6 geographically diverse, overburdened communities to engage with in a participatory budgeting process to develop and prioritize projects that achieve the greatest gain for decarbonization and climate resilience.

Using data sources like the Environmental Health Disparities Map and their own lived experiences, CAC members worked together to identify the following six priority communities: Spokane’s East Central neighborhood Seattle’s South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods DOH worked with youth to design and pilot participatory budgeting processes in three of these communities.

DOH chose one representative in each region of the state: Spokane’s East Central neighborhood, Yakima County, and Tacoma. In 2025, this grant moved to Department of Commerce. DOH met with Commerce to share knowledge and lessons from previous experience.

Workplace Safety for Workers Affected by Climate Change This grant program focuses on the workplace health and safety of workers who are affected by climate impacts like extreme heat and cold, wildfire smoke, drought, and flooding. The program supports workplace health and safety for farm workers, construction workers, and other workers who face the most risk from climate-related effects.

The program includes pass-through grants to buy and distribute necessary supplies. This is an ongoing grant program. In the 2023–2025 biennium, funding and supplies were distributed through several avenues.

Grants to Tribes: Thirteen Tribes across the state were awarded nearly $2 million to develop and run a workplace health and safety program. Pilot program: Multiple community-based organizations received a total of $40,000 to identify workers’ needs, provide education to outdoor workers, and procure and distribute supplies to outdoor workers.

Distribution of supplies: Three community-based organizations received funding to assist in the distribution of $1. 9 million worth of supplies to workers facing risks related to heat, pesticide exposure, and wildfire smoke. Supplies included air purifiers and filters, pop-up canopies, insulated water bottles, electrolytes, sunscreen, insulated lunch bags, and cooling towels.

More information will be coming soon for Tribes to apply to receive non-competitive funds in the new biennium. See Workplace Safety for Workers Affected by Climate Change Grant for community-based organizations specifically serving agricultural workers.

Community and Tribal Involvement As part of our commitment to the government-to-government relationship between federally recognized Tribes and the state of Washington, we consulted with Tribes about three environmental justice grants. We collaborate and consult with Tribes when developing policies, agreements, and programs.

August and September 2023 – Listening sessions and roundtable discussions for environmental justice grants, including the HEAL Tribal Capacity Grant, Community Informed Budgeting, and Workplace Safety for Workers Affected by Climate Change Grant. September and October 2023 – Tribal consultation occurred for the HEAL Tribal Capacity Grant.

May through July 2024 – Tribal consultation and discussions continued for the Community Informed Budgeting and Workplace Safety for Workers Affected by Climate Change. August 2025 – Listening sessions for the 2025-2027 biennium funding are scheduled.

Community Advisory Committees In 2024, important grant program decisions were made by 25 CAC members, who were informed by their lived experiences and/or working relationships with communities impacted by environmental inequities. In 2025, additional CACs will be convened to review and score applications for the HEAL Community Capacity Grant and the Workplace Safety for Workers Affected by Climate Change Grant.

General Feedback on Grants Notification of HEAL Act Capacity Grant Environmental Justice Assessment (PDF) Notification of Community Informed Budgeting Environmental Justice Assessment (PDF) Notification of Workplace Safety Environmental Justice Assessment (PDF) Email us for more information on these grants . The Environmental Justice and Climate Change Grants are supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA).

The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www. climate.

wa. gov .