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Michigan Healthy Climate Justice Accelerator
The MI Healthy Climate Justice Accelerator (Justice Accelerator) is designed to center community-led climate action in advancing the goals in the MI Healthy Climate Plan. The MI Healthy Climate Plan commits the state to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 in a just and equitable manner. This includes ensuring that Michigan’s historically disadvantaged communities benefit from at least 40% of state funding for climate and water infrastructure. However, many frontline communities and organizations face significant barriers in securing resources for climate and infrastructure projects.
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Office of Climate and Energy (OCE) and the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate (OEJPA), working with Elevate, developed the Justice Accelerator to support Michigan environmental justice communities with funding, technical assistance, and training to successfully apply for and receive available funding.
The Justice Accelerator program launched in October 2024 to support 25 community-based organizations selected from frontline communities across Michigan in building capacity for enduring and equitable climate action. Frontline communities experience the impacts of climate change “first and worst” and are often historically disadvantaged.
The Justice Accelerator vision
- Support communities with environmental justice concerns– bring investments into overburdened and underserved communities to reduce pollution, create jobs, and improve public health and quality of life.
- Advance clean energy and resilience – connect community-based clean energy and climate projects with funding to make a bigger impact.
- Build stronger organizations – build capacity for community-based organizations through technical assistance, funding, and training to increase their power for the long haul.
The approach
In October 2024, 25 participants joined what was initially a year-long cohort. The program has since been extended to a second year. Participating organizations submitted project ideas in alignment with the MHCP as part of the application process.
Participants received stipend funds to support participation and project development during the cohort, as well as the following benefits:
- One-on-one technical assistance (TA)
- Justice Accelerator support navigating funding opportunities and TA needs
- Workshops on applying for government grants
- Peer-to-peer learning sessions, including in-person convenings
- Informational sessions with government agency officials
- Curated notices of funding opportunities
- Post-accelerator alumni network
Participating organizations
The participating MI Healthy Climate Justice Accelerator organizations include:
- Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit
- Avalon Village, Inc., Highland Park
- Building Assets to Strengthen Society (BASS, Inc.), Highland Park
- Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation
- Climate Crew Collective (Michigan Health Improvement Alliance/Saginaw Community Alliance for the People)
- Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance, Detroit
- Community Collaboration on Climate Change (C4), Grand Rapids
- Concerned Residents for South Dearborn
- Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network
- Detroit Dirt
- Detroit Justice Center
- Dream of Detroit
- Flint Community Lab
- Four County Community Foundation (Hispanic Service Center of Imlay City)
- Friends of Rouge Park, Detroit
- Growing Hope, Inc., Ypsilanti
- Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie
- Keweenaw Community Foundation, Hancock
- No Earth Wasted – Living Ecological Awareness Farm (NEW LEAF), Detroit
- One Love Global, Inc., Lansing
- Soulardarity, Highland Park
- Urban Development Corp., Detroit
- Washington Heights United Methodist Church and Community, Battle Creek
- We Want Green Too, Detroit
- Young, Gifted & Green, Flint
News
- November 7, 2025 - Inside Michigan’s Justice40 Accelerator: community projects driving climate action
- October 28, 2025 - Michigan Justice40 Accelerator celebrates year of frontline community-led climate action, announces second year
- October 8, 2024 - EGLE announces inaugural participants in Michigan’s first Justice40 Accelerator
- June 18, 2024 - Launch of Michigan Justice40 Accelerator moves state toward MI Healthy Climate Plan goals
Contact us
If you have questions about the MI Healthy Climate Justice Accelerator, please contact the respective Office:
- Office of Climate and Energy: EGLE-OCE@Michigan.gov
- Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate: EGLE-EnvironmentalJustice@Michigan.gov