Theories of Change: A Framework to Improve Engineering Efforts to Advance Environmental Justice

“Justice 40” Executive Order 14008 is a whole-of-government initiative that commits that at least 40% of overall benefits of the federal climate and infrastructure investments are realized by communities that experience disproportionate environmental burdens. Engineering research and practice will both be essential to realizing Justice 40 by identifying infrastructure problems, improving designs, conducting novel studies, and developing new technologies, with the collective goal to provide environmental safety to the public. While engineering can be effective in assessing and improving infrastructure in general, however, not only are traditional engineering theories of change ineffective at addressing fundamental inequities, but also many aspects result in the further perpetuation of environmental injustice. In addition, there exists no cross-sector structural template from which to connect, design, execute, and evaluate engineering infrastructure research and practice through an environmental justice (EJ) framework. In the absence of such a connective template, different sectors continue to conduct engineering efforts under traditional sector-specific paradigms or theories on how to effect change. The work herein presents a cross-sector theory of change framework, or a working structure for how to adopt and systematically integrate EJ principles into engineering research and practice processes to advance EJ. We assess common theories of change practised in the market-based sector, philanthropy, academia, government, and community-based sector and provide analysis, critique, and recommendations as to how engineering research and practice processes can be improved to equitably realize “Justice 40.”