Staying the Course: Local Climate Justice in an Era of Federal Rollbacks

As climate risks escalate, U.S. coastal cities—home to over 47 million people—are confronting rising seas, stronger storms, and worsening floods. These threats damage infrastructure, displace residents, and disrupt local economies. The risks are not shared equally—nearly 60% of coastal city residents are people of color, compared to 37% nationally. Coastal cities also have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, rent burden, and non-citizenship—all of which compound climate vulnerability.

Communities of color and low-income residents are more likely to live near coasts, in flood zones, or on eroding shorelines, and often lack the resources to recover from extreme events. Climate justice in coastal cities must address both chronic risks like sea level rise and acute threats like hurricanes and storm surges. Many coastal cities are meeting this challenge by directing resources to frontline neighborhoods, elevating community leadership, and building systems that address both environmental and social vulnerability. 

Yet this local momentum is unfolding against a backdrop of federal retreat. In its first months, the Trump administration has rolled back key climate and environmental justice programs— terminating the Justice40 Initiative, dismantling the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool, shuttering national and regional Environmental Justice offices, and canceling over $1.7 billion in grants aimed at improving resilience, equity, and environmental health. 

Despite these rollbacks, cities are stepping up. Through innovative funding models, strategic partnerships, and community-driven planning, they are working to sustain and scale climate justice efforts. This memo presents policy recommendations that cities can leverage in responding to the changing landscape of climate justice, with case examples drawn from interviews with local officials across the U.S. working at the forefront of these challenges.