When our team started thinking about the idea of a “green gap”, we knew the research was clear on a few things. First, those who suffer the most from pollution and environmental damage are often not the ones behind it. Second, “going green” is currently a lot easier for people with money to spare. And third, resources have been historically concentrated in white, affluent neighborhoods, leading to gaps in green spaces, healthy food, and sustainable infrastructure.

But it wasn’t until our conversations with Dr. Suzanne Pierre, the founder of Critical Ecology Lab, that we realized we were still missing an essential piece: social injustice and environmental harms are directly connected. Polluting factories typically concentrate toxicity in low-income communities. Deforestation leads to the loss of both habitats and local livelihoods. The mass production of goods is often fueled by the exploitation of workers. The same actions have consequences for both the planet and its people.

Quality of life in our country has always been connected to race and wealth, often as a result of legal and systemic designs. As sustainability became more expensive, it also became more exclusive. “Green” initiatives have frequently been commodified and disconnected from the individuals who bear the greatest burdens of unsustainable practices. We can’t solve for one without addressing the other.

The importance of making equity a centerpiece of environmental efforts reminds us of “kintsugi”. This traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold or other precious metals brings attention to the piece’s cracks and history. It highlights the damage as part of the repair, rather than ignoring it. Similarly, it’s only by acknowledging and addressing the relationships between wealth, race, injustice, and environmental damage that we can meaningfully repair the gaps.