Children drink water during summer excursion
Publications

Redefining Innovation Through Environmental Justice

Building Transformative Partnerships   

At its core, environmental justice calls for fair treatment and multi-benefit solutions for all people regardless of who they are or where they live. As we work to invest in aging infrastructure, reduce our carbon footprint, and respond to climate change, the public sector has a unique opportunity to uplift under-resourced communities through innovative capital investments in infrastructure. The public and the private sector can work together in new ways to transform communities and redefine how we provide safe, resilient, sustainable infrastructure to everyone. 

Victoria Johnson, in collaboration with fellow industry leaders, created the Private Sector Leaders Alliance initiative to reimagine how the water sector can expand benefits, increase access and create more equitable, sustainable communities through multi-sector partnerships. The PSLA partnered with the National Association of Clean Water Agencies to publish a white paper, “The Private Sector's Role in Partnering with Water Utilities To Advance Environmental Justice” illustrating how the private sector can integrate equity into planning, design, engineering and construction. The paper highlights strategies and methodologies that can be applied across sectors to support sharing best practices to build more equitable infrastructure.

Read Victoria’s white paper, “Redefining Innovation Through Environmental Justice: Transforming Private Sector Partnerships with Water Utilities,” to explore global insights and best practices on how to build people-centered infrastructure and leverage federal priorities to increase access and opportunities to uplift communities and engage more diverse suppliers. At HDR, we are prioritizing equity and taking action to advance environmental justice strategies and methodologies to address barriers in historically disinvested communities. The paper includes an endorsement from our Chairman and CEO Eric L. Keen and expresses commitment from our leadership to prioritize equity and environmental justice as we partner with our clients to build people-centered infrastructure. 

As we continue our ongoing collaboration with our clients, we are committed to advancing environmental justice to build safe, healthy and thriving communities to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

About the Author

Victoria Johnson
Victoria Johnson

Victoria is a global equity director. In this role, she leads an established equity practice, providing advisory services to infrastructure leaders to shape and integrate equity and justice priorities for federal, state and local agencies. She works closely with HDR's leadership across multiple markets and geographies to shape and steward our external equity strategy and goals for broader benefits to communities.