California Air Resources Board

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) envisions a future where all Californians equitably breathe healthy and clean air, benefit from actions to address climate change, and where race is no longer a predictor of life outcomes. Using a racial equity tool, known as CARB’s Racial Equity Lens (REL), helps CARB achieve this vision of racial equity.

CARB’s REL 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 impact by our work. This commitment helps to identify and address the power imbalances which create or perpetuate disparate impacts on California’s communities. For that reason, CARB’s REL 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.