The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Environmental Justice Program

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States . The purpose of the Conference is to promote the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place. This purpose is drawn from the universal law of the Church and applies to the episcopal conferences which are established all over the world for the same purpose. The bishops themselves constitute the membership of the Conference and are served by a staff of over 350 lay people, priests and religious located at the Conference headquarters in Washington, DC.

The Environmental Justice Program (EJP) of the USCCB began in the fall of 1993 and is located within the Department of Social Development and World Peace.

EJP seeks to educate and motivate Catholics to a deeper reverence and respect for God's creation, and to engage parishes and dioceses in activities aimed at dealing with environmental problems, particularly as they affect the poor. EJP acts as a resource for Catholic dioceses and state Catholic conferences, and through them Catholic parishes.

Its distinctively Catholic foundation lies in Pope John Paul II's 1990 World Day of Peace message and the U.S. Catholic bishops' statement, Renewing the Earth, issued in 1991. EJP focuses on four activities to advance the mission of the program: Scholarship, Leadership Development, Public Policy/Advocacy, and Special Projects.

With the guidance of the U.S. Catholic bishops, EJP is active in the public policy arena advocating for environmental policies which protect the poor, promote environmental health and safety, ensure that the right to private property is balanced with the claims of the common good, and promote sustainable environmental and economic development.