Advancing Environmental Justice & Public Health

Environmental damage and the climate crisis have an outsized impact on people of color and marginalized communities. ELM is committed to ensuring that the transition to clean energy is prioritized in communities with poor environmental quality, that have been overburdened by energy infrastructure, and that have been excluded from the decision-making and economic opportunities that the growing clean energy economy offers. We must design policies that repair past harms, deliver economic benefits equitably, and drive improvements in public health. 

We at ELM advocate for: 

  • Equitable growth of our clean energy industry through economic inclusion, robust community engagement, supplier diversity, and workforce development programs.   
  • Identifying poor air quality “hot spots” across the Commonwealth and improving monitoring and mitigation plans to address harms. 
  • Policies that drive equitable access to the benefits of decarbonization, such as electrified housing, zero emissions vehicles, and reliable public transit; 
  • Expanding Mass Save to provide more energy efficiency rebates and incentives to historically underserved populations. 
  • Affordable and electrified public transit in environmental justice communities. 
  • Funding and legislation to address and eliminate PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in water, soil, and consumer products. 
2025-2026 Legislative Priorities


HD1924/SD1086, An Act to ensure cleaner air for communities overburdened by outdoor air pollution

Sponsors: Rep. Barber & Sen. Jehlen

Low-income communities of color disproportionately bear the health and environmental impacts of vehicle- and industry-related air pollution. This legislation would direct the Department of Environmental Protection to identify air quality “hot spots” across the Commonwealth and develop a monitoring and mitigation plan to address these harms.