Greening Equity: Richmond, CA

Achieving Equity in Green Economic Development
A Publication of the Richmond Equitable Development Initiative (REDI)

The Greening Equity Report for Richmond, California is the result of the early community outreach and research efforts of the Richmond Equitable Development Initiative (REDI) to understand the state of the green economy in the greater Richmond area. The overarching goal of this report is to inform community members, local stakeholders and especially city officials and local leaders so that they can promote and support activities, programs, and policies that will advance equitable green economic development with an emphasis on the following areas:

•     Creating opportunities to grow green collar employment and businesses 
•     Ensuring that new green jobs offer livable wages and benefits
•     Connecting residents to employment and/or training opportunities
•     Promoting efficient and environmentally-friendly land use decisions
•     Leveraging federal, state, and local funds to enhance economic opportunities for residents
•     Supporting policies that create new markets for green products and services.

For this report, REDI interviewed political leaders, green employers, City of Richmond staff, and community members about their visions for Richmond. Overall, stakeholders expressed high enthusiasm for building a green economy and many expressed a strong commitment to ensuring that equity considerations play a central role.

Respondents often connected a green economy with better quality of life for Richmond residents. Many community leaders brought up the need for an economy that can support good schools and improve health for residents and workers. City staff suggested opportunities for rehabilitating the existing housing stock, building quality new housing, providing healthy food, and furthering toxic remediation. Community members wanted to ensure that residents—especially low-income and people of color—had access to the new more equitable economy they want to build and spoke of a need to bridge the “eco divide” that separates these people from the environmental movement and the green economy.

Stakeholders stressed that economic health should be measured by job growth as well as job quality. Career ladders, mentoring, and opportunities for advancement were mentioned as core equity indicators within the green economy. Community members and city staff alike insisted that the jobs created by city programs and policies must fit the skills of local residents and address the needs of those with barriers to employment, such as parolees and people with limited education. There was also a strong interest in owning and operating green businesses. Finally, community members voiced their support for specific priority goals, such as greening vacant foreclosed homes to make them more energy efficient, thus saving money for homeowners and renters while simultaneously creating jobs for locals.

The emergence of the green economy provides an opportunity to decrease pollution and environmental degradation, which disproportionately affect low-income communities of color. As the nation continues to struggle to overcome the collapse of our economy, it is especially crucial that systems, infrastructure, policies, and funding streams are in place to ensure that low-income people, who are suffering the most, gain access to high quality “green jobs” and a cleaner, healthier environment.

To address this ambitious goal, REDI is committed to working with city residents, elected officials and leaders from both, the public and private sectors, to advance a set of coordinated policies, programs, and practices for equitable green economic development. More...