UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant partners in creation of new energy and environmental justice center

The University of Guam, in a partnership led by San Diego State University, was awarded a $10million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create one of 17 centers nationwide to connect underserved communities with resources for energy and environmental justice.

$526,000 is directed to the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant to lead outreach, engagement, and service delivery for Guam and the regional community through its coordination of Guam Green Growth (G3) and renewable energy and energy efficiency activities working with the Guam Energy Office.

“Guam and the rest of Micronesia are no stranger to environmental justice issues. We are on the frontlines of climate change impacts despite contributing the least to its causes. This significant grant will build local capacity to address some of these justice issues and expand our center’s ability to support sustainable development in Guam and our region” stated Austin Shelton, PhD, Director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant.

The SDSU Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice will provide critical services to rural, remote, tribal, and Indigenous communities to access federal resources for environmental and energy justice projects.

Over the next five years, the center and its partners will co-create accessible, multilingual, in-person and virtual services to help communities that are often most affected by environmental challenges like drought, flooding, and pollution apply for government funding.

“UOG continues to serve our students, our island, and region through our faculty and research expertise, as well as through meaningful partnerships we are building across the globe. We are pleased to partner with the prestigious San Diego State University under the leadership of their President, Dr. Adela Dela Torre, to deliver new resources and networks for the benefit our island communities,” said Anita Borja Enriquez, DBA, UOG President.

Aside from UOG, other academic institutions participating in the initiative include Arizona State University and the University of San Diego’s Energy Policy Initiatives Center. Partner organizations span across industry and non-profit sectors including the Environmental Protection Network, Center for Creative Land Recycling, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Desert Research Institute, Pacific RISA, and the Public Health Alliance.

The new SDSU Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice is committed to helping community organizations by providing technical assistance that includes conducting environmental and energy justice needs assessment and analyses, facilitating navigation of government systems, identifying grant opportunities, increasing grant getting and administration capacity, supporting decision-making participation, and advancing community champions.