Focus of Study Research highlights Emphasizing Co-Benefits: Reducing GHG emissions is not the sole mandatory investment strategy for the GGRF. Other legislative priorities require the inclusion of economic, environmental and public health benefits, such as diesel emissions reduction; cost-savings on utility bills; or a decrease in the incidences of low-birth weight. High Road Labor Opportunities: Establishing a higher labor standard for disadvantaged workers that includes a living wage, prevailing wage laws, ensuring compliance with labor laws and a quality work environment and other practices to protect the dignity and rights of workers. Anti-Displacement Safeguards: Incentivizing measures to increase the resilience against the direct displacement of vulnerable residents and businesses by projects funded by the GGRF as well as potential subsequent economic displacement in the surrounding areas. Authentic Community Engagement: Prioritizing decision-making partnerships with communities during policy development, determination of core issues and remediation strategies, the formulation of investment proposals, and involvement in the selection process that awards funds. FOCUS OF STUDY
GHG reduction strategies
are the primary requirement for all GGRF programs, yet other legal mandates require the fulfillment of much-needed equity goals. Advantaging Communities focuses on the secondary requirements of co-benefits and protection against further harm to vulnerable populations. This report also emphasizes the need for authentic community engagement in the development of programs and proposals that seek to remediate the economic disenfranchisement, environmental degradation and adverse public health conditions that disadvantaged communities (DACs) have historically experienced.9 This research highlights areas of concern within the policies that inform investments in DACs that fail to: 1) maximize co-benefits; 2) prioritize high road labor opportunities; 3) adequately incentivize anti-displacement measures for the most vulnerable households; and 4) ensure funding prioritization for proposals emphasizing authentic community engagement. It also provides examples of methods to remedy each of these concerns and recommends policies to establish more thorough guidelines to implement those strategies. To address these issues, this report is concerned with two types of administrative actions, with a particular focus on the latter: Policies determining investment strategies and the development of programs. The Three-Year Investment Plan, compiled by the California Department of Finance in conjunction with ARB and other state agencies, identifies the strategies likely to be most effective targeting GHG and the creation of co-benefits.10 Advantaging Communities | 13
