Agencies that administer California Climate Investments programs must avoid burdens to priority populations. The following resources help support agencies in fulfilling this requirement.

Many communities across California encounter disproportionate climate risks, environmental and health hazards, and lower capacity to adapt to climate change. Equity and environmental justice must be centered in every policy, program, and project, ensuring that climate solutions do not increase burdens for disadvantaged and low-income communities, particularly communities of color and California Native American Tribes.

Explore the following resources to learn about recommendations and examples for avoiding burdens

Guidance and Tool

Supporting Resources

Program highlights

Other resources

Definition of Burden or Harm

For California Climate Investments, burden or harm is defined as the collection of adverse impacts to a region, community, household, culture, or environment resulting from the implementation of a climate program. Adverse impacts may be newly introduced or may continue or worsen existing inequities or patterns of injustice, including public health, social, cultural, economic, or environmental injustice. A burden or harm can be direct or indirect, and exists across time, beginning at the planning of a proposed project or the application process, and extending past direct implementation, towards long-term impacts.  

The terms burden and harm are used interchangeably within the context of California Climate Investments.

Supplemental Guidance and Tool

CARB developed the following materials to support administering agencies in implementing the avoiding burdens requirement of the Funding Guidelines. Both the supplemental guidance and tool have required and recommended steps.

Download Guidance

Supplemental Guidance to Avoid Substantial Burdens or Harms to Priority Populations

A three-phase approach to identify and avoid burdens with recommended strategies for implementation.

The three phases are:

Identify Potential Burdens
Develop Strategies to Avoid Burdens
Evaluate Outcomes and Identify Improvements

Download
Tool

Burdens Identification and Strategy Tool

For administering agencies to document how they implement the phases of the supplemental guidance.

Supporting Resources for Avoiding Burdens

CARB developed additional resources to aid in identifying and avoiding burdens in program design and project selection for each phase of the guidance:

Phase 1

Identify Potential Burdens

1.1. Preparing for Public Participation

Recommended actions to prepare for meaningful engagement with communities, an important approach for avoiding burdens.

1.2. Guiding Ethical Frameworks for Avoiding Burdens

Summary of three ethical frameworks with questions to assist administering agencies in determining if a program or project action may avoid or cause burden.

Phase 2

Develop Strategies to Avoid Burdens

2.1. Examples of Burdens and Avoidance Strategies

Summary of the burden examples listed in the supplemental guidance with examples of strategies to avoid them.

Phase 3

Evaluate Outcomes and Identify Improvements

(may also apply to Phase 1)

3.1. Examples of Root Causes of Burdens and Potential Solutions

Summary of root causes, their impact, and recommended solutions to address them. Identifying root causes and solutions can help address recurring burdens that have been difficult to avoid.

Program Highlights

Explore the following California Climate Investments programs that are working to avoid burdens.

Featured

Clean Mobility Options

The program has a Clean Mobility Equity Alliance that brings together project implementers and communities to share successes and challenges in mobility project implementation.

Forest Health Program

Applicants proposing projects with potential adverse impacts, such as smoke, must explain how disproportionate impacts to priority populations would be avoided.

Sustainable Transportation Equity Project

The program developed a Displacement and Housing guidance document to aid applicants in incorporating anti-displacement policies and activities in their proposals.

Transformative Climate Communities

Applicants must include an explanation of how anti-displacement measures are incorporated into their project.

Other Resources

The following list includes both State and external resources that are intended to provide ideas for administering agencies and further support to avoid burdens. The resources were identified by researching available literature and through engagement with State agencies and community-based organizations.

Featured

The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool Compilation

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

A toolkit consisting of data, tools, models, methods, and other resources available to perform health impact assessments.

Technical Assistance Toolkit

Strategic Growth Council

A funder’s guide to building community capacity and resilience.

Racial Equity Toolkit

Government Alliance on Race and Equity

A racial equity tool that provides an approach to develop strategies and actions to reduce racial inequities and improve success for all groups.

Policy Recommendations to Promote Anti-displacement Activities Within State Transportation Programs

State of California Interagency Housing and Transportation Workgroup

A memo initiated by the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure that identifies a suite of anti-displacement strategies that can be promoted via scoring and evaluation criteria in state funding program guidelines.

Handbook for Analyzing Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions, Assessing Climate Vulnerabilities, and Advancing Health and Equity

California Air Pollution Control Officers Association

A handbook of data and methods designed for local governments, communities, and project developers to design and build healthier neighborhoods, develop clean air solutions, and create more equitable, resilient communities and economies.

Better Funding

Prosper Sustainably

A set of recommendations for state and federal agencies to drive energy and climate action through more effective investment in California local and tribal governments.

A Call to Invest in Community Power: Lessons from Ten Years of California Climate Investments for the State and the Nation

Greenlining Institute

A comprehensive analysis of California Climate Investments over the past decade with findings and recommendations that aim to improve future climate investments.

We Want to Hear From You!

Are there other examples of burdens or harms that you’ve experienced?
Do you know of any other climate programs that are doing a good job at avoiding burdens?
Is there a resource or something else you’d like to see included on this page?
What else would you like to share about avoiding burdens?

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