Applying the Equity Lens prompts staff to gather and analyze relevant data and to consider how their work may help to address or avoid potential disparities. It also guides staff to identify practical ways to improve access, reduce barriers, and better serve communities most impacted by air pollution and climate change. For example, studies consistently show that California’s most pollution-burdened neighborhoods are largely home to people of color and low-income households. This means race and income are factors to consider when evaluating disparities and designing solutions to improve air pollution.
The Equity Lens has been designed as both an analytical tool and a process to be continually refined based on its use, learnings from staff, and community insights. This approach is rooted in the philosophy of cultural humility, which emphasizes the lifelong commitment to self-evaluation, self-critique, and developing partnerships with community partners—especially leaders and community members directly impacted by our work. This commitment helps to identify and address the power imbalances which create or perpetuate disparate impacts on California’s communities.
How was the Equity Lens Developed?
Development of the Equity Lens began in 2021, when CARB staff recognized the need for a structured, data-driven approach to identifying existing and potential disparities and considering equity during decision making. The first draft of the Equity Lens was introduced to staff in 2022 and piloted internally by multiple project teams between 2022 and 2024.
CARB then contracted five community leaders and environmental justice experts between 2025 and 2026 to help align the tool with direct, real-world observations and experiences. The next step in this process is to receive public feedback to ensure the tool reflects the lived experiences of the communities it is intended to serve and helps staff to effectively advance equity through their work.
