Did You Know?
Back in 2015, when a coalition of communities of color came together to form Front and Centered, we initially called ourselves “Communities of Color for Climate Justice.” But what is climate justice? How do we define it, and how do we work to advance it in Washington State? Use the buttons below to navigate the page and learn more.
What is Climate Justice?
Climate justice is both an idea and a movement for change. We know that climate change is happening, but we also know that different communities and regions of the world experience the impacts of climate change differently. In fact, it’s the people who have contributed the least to carbon emissions who are now on the frontlines of climate change and dealing with most of the harm that climate impacts cause.
Governments around the world are now enacting policies to respond to climate change: mitigation policies that aim to slow climate change down, and adaptation policies that aim to prepare communities for climate impacts. However, just as the harm of climate impacts is not shared equally across different communities, the burdens imposed by new climate policies often aren’t either.
It’s frontline communities—communities of color, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and refugees, and low-income folks—who often shoulder most of the burden associated with these new policies, even though they are the least responsible for climate change.
The combined impact of climate change and climate policies is contributing to a societal transition, but there is no guarantee that justice will be a part of that transition. As a movement, climate justice is the work that frontline communities are leading around the world, including right here in Washington State, to ensure a Just Transition—one where climate policies and other responses to climate change do not disproportionately harm or burden frontline communities, and instead provide better outcomes for all.
Our Vision and Advocacy Approach
To achieve a truly Just Transition in Washington State, the needs and expertise of frontline communities must be made central to the work of addressing our reliance on fossil fuels, car-dependent transportation infrastructure, and planning processes that perpetuate existing inequities.
Recently passed laws like the Clean Energy Transformation Act, Healthy Environment for All Act, Climate Commitment Act, and updates to the Growth Management Act all aim to address various aspects of the climate crisis. The implementation of these laws and planning processes must meaningfully integrate the perspectives of frontline communities so we can create more resilient and sustainable systems that combat climate change and ensure justice for all.
Front and Centered employs a multifaceted advocacy strategy aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by frontline communities. Key components include:
(According to a recent inventory, 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington State came from the transportation sector in 2019, while 21% could be attributed to electricity generation alone. Clearly, transportation and energy justice must be key components of any climate justice work in Washington State.)
Transportation Justice
Our latest climate justice report is out!
In July, we released Gardening for Transportation Justice, a report that demonstrated the amazing policy solutions frontline communities are able to implement to reduce carbon emissions and foster climate resilience if they are part of a grant program that takes a community-centered approach.
Now, our policy team has analyzed the state’s 2025–2027 budget. In A Disparity in Washington State’s Transportation Budget, we argue that the state’s current approach to transportation and climate funding falls short of its equity and environmental justice commitments and that Washington must prioritize making transparent, explicit investments in frontline communities.
Download the full report or read the executive summary for a quick overview!
Additional updates:
Check out Transit in Transition, a podcast series produced by Jasmine Pulido as part of our Transportation Justice Leadership Grant Program in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation!
In this first episode, Jasmine talks about why transportation is a justice issue and why our car-dependent culture is at the heart of many transportation problems. She also introduces the listener to many of the grant recipients doing great work all across the state. (Once you’re done with Episode 1, you can go listen to more episodes!)
Want to learn more? Walk, ride, or roll right over to our Transportation Justice page to see all of our current and past transportation justice policy and advocacy work!
Energy Justice
LATEST UPDATE:
For the 2026 legislative session, we are working hard to advance and pass House Bill 1903. Introduced by Front and Centered last year, HB 1903 would establish a statewide energy assistance program.
Currently the bill is sitting in the House Appropriations Committee, which is as far as it progressed last year. Stay in touch with us by signing up for our emails to learn how to help us get HB 1903 out of committee and passed into law!
Additional updates:
In December 2024, Front and Centered joined a broad coalition of environmental, climate, and health advocates and local governments from across the state to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Initiative 2066. This marked the first time we used a litigation strategy in our fight for frontline communities—and we won!
In March 2025, a King County Superior Court judge ruled that I-2066 violates the state constitution. At a moment of heightened attacks on our communities, we’re celebrating this victory. We know if this misleading initiative were upheld, it would undermine gains we’ve made in the fight against climate change and our necessary transition off fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future.
Plug yourself in to all of our current and past energy justice policy and advocacy work at our Energy Justice page!
False Solutions
LATEST UPDATE:
In November 2025, we convened a gathering of Indigenous and frontline community leaders for a panel and discussion on the proliferation of data centers and the usage of artificial intelligence, and how that is impacting frontline communities in many concerning ways.
Many folks who were interested but could not attend asked for a recording or recap of the event. We don’t have a video, but we do have a blog post recapping the event; this post even includes download links for the fact posters on data centers and AI that we had on display at our event. Grab yourself a mug of tea or coffee and settle in for a quick read!
Additional updates:
In November 2024, Initiative 2117—the ballot initiative that would have repealed the Climate Commitment Act—lost decisively on Election Day. Earlier that year in March, our coalition leadership published a statement calling for folks to vote NO on I-2117, and in September, our former Co-Executive Director Deric explained our position in detail in his election ballot explainer:
There’s plenty to fault the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) on, not the least of which is how major polluters are largely left off the hook of any real accountability to reduce emissions. Furthermore, the Department of Ecology is seeking to amplify the CCA’s major flaws by linking Washington’s carbon market with California and Québec’s.
However, the CCA repeal initiative I-2117 is misguided and our leadership is urging folks to vote NO on I-2117. Most importantly, I-2117 would cut short the critical investments that have been made to build community capacity for the Just Transition… While state agencies have work to do to make up for the shortfall in the legislature’s biggest commitment—to explicitly appropriate a minimum of 35% of CCA funding for direct and meaningful benefits to overburdened communities—I-2117 does nothing to further that cause.
Learn more at Exposing False Solutions:
