Updated on March 4th, 2026.

Northern Cardinals. Photo by Carole Wiley.

All people, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or location, have the right to a healthy environment and equal protection from environmental harm. Environmental justice connects all of our issue areas, from access to clean water, air, and land, to affordable housing and transportation. VCN and our Partners remain committed to building a more equitable and diverse movement where all voices are valued, uplifted, and represented.

With the passing of the Virginia Environmental Justice Act in 2020, it has been the official statewide policy to promote and advance environmental justice. Yet, there’s no one solution to achieve environmental justice. See several legislative strategies below that build a more environmentally just Virginia:

A comprehensive plan is a plan that outlines a locality’s vision, goals, and strategies for future growth and development. Local landowners, businesses, developers, and citizens share feedback throughout the planning process, promoting civic engagement and community involvement. Encouraging localities to incorporate environmental justice throughout the planning process allows them to think more deeply about community health burdens, like access to clean water and air, and creating sustainable, resilient communities.

VCN and our Partners support the following bills to help incorporate environmental justice strategies in local comprehensive planning:

State agencies and local governments allow citizens, businesses, and other groups to weigh in on environmental permits & reviews that could impact their communities. Yet, tribes are often not consulted during the permitting & review process. Allowing tribal engagement and consultation provides the opportunity for meaningful conversations before key decisions are made, strengthening protections across our shared natural resources.

VCN and our Partners support the following bills to adopt state agency tribal consultation requirements:

Hundreds of Virginia workers visit the emergency room or miss at least one day of work each year due to heat-related illness. As extreme heat events become more common, our built environment struggles to keep workers safe. 

VCN and our Partners support the following bills to adopt heat illness prevention standards:

Virginia is one of the only states in the nation that permanently strips the rights of anyone convicted of a felony, which is rooted in Jim Crow-era policy. More than 260,000 Virginians today have lost the right to vote, preventing them from having a say in their communities or state. Restoring the right to vote to disenfranchised Virginians allows them to have a voice and a vote in protecting their communities and advocating for environmental priorities that matter to them.

VCN and our Partners support the following constitutional amendments to restore voting rights to disenfranchised Virginians:

Tell your legislators to help protect Virginia workers from heat and heat-related illnesses by supporting HB1092 and SB288 through BlueGreen Alliance’s pre-filled form.

See the real-time updates from Virginia’s Legislative Information System (LIS) on the bill tracker below: