At the Center On Race, Poverty And & The Environment (CRPE), everything we do is rooted in the principles of Worker and Community-Led Transition.
While this approach reflects the values of what many call a Just Transition, we use our own name for it to keep the focus rooted in the people and places we serve. This language reflects our commitment to ensuring that change is led by those directly impacted by environmental injustice. This approach helps us stay grounded, accountable, and connected to the communities we serve.
Worker and Community-Led Transition is more than a theory. It is a daily practice shaped by decades of organizing, advocacy, and deep relationships with frontline communities. It guides how we move away from industries that pollute and exploit, and how we build toward regenerative, community-driven solutions that prioritize equity and sustainability.
We believe that lasting change must come from the ground up. The people who have experienced the harms of pollution, economic inequity, and disinvestment are the ones who best understand what their communities need.
They should lead the way forward. This approach centers community voices and worker leadership in the fight for healthier neighborhoods, good jobs, and meaningful participation in local decision-making.
As we move beyond the fossil-fueled economy of the past, our goal is to build a sustainable future that truly serves low-income and racialized rural communities. This future must be shaped by those most affected, not by entrenched power interests. It must offer safe and dignified work, generate the public resources communities need, and restore the health and safety of places long burdened by environmental harm.
Our commitment to this framework is reflected across all our core campaigns: Toxic Free Communities, Forgotten Voice, and Climate Justice. These campaigns are how we put our values into action. They show what is possible when workers and communities lead the way. In doing so, we are not only challenging harmful systems, but we are also helping to build the future our communities know is possible.