Voting Rights Are Fundamental to Democracy and Climate Justice

The World Resources Institute (WRI) asserts that new voter suppression laws in 17 U.S. states undermine democracy and hinder environmental justice. The text links the disenfranchisement of Black and Latino voters to a lack of representation in decisions regarding climate change and pollution, noting that these communities are more likely to live near polluting facilities and express higher levels of alarm regarding the climate crisis.

• New laws in 17 U.S. states are creating barriers to voting by reducing polling locations, implementing new ID regulations, and complicating mail-in voting, which the document claims disproportionately harms Black people and other people of color.
• The document identifies a direct link between voting rights and environmental justice, stating that vulnerable communities and people of color—who suffer disproportionately from air pollution and climate change—require voting access to influence government decisions on environmental issues.
• Data indicates that people of color are more concerned about the climate crisis than white voters; specifically, Black Americans report higher levels of alarm, and Latino voters are more likely to contact officials regarding climate change.
• The text highlights systemic environmental racism, noting that Black Americans are 75% more likely than white Americans to live near commercial facilities producing emissions, noise, odor, or traffic.
• Two legislative proposals, the "John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act" and the "For the People Act," are identified as mechanisms to counter voter suppression, though the document notes they face potential blockage in the Senate via the filibuster.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Voting Rights Are Fundamental to Democracy and Climate Justice. https://www.wri.org/insights/voting-rights-fundamental-democracy-climate-justice

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Voting Rights Are Fundamental to Democracy and Climate Justice. 2021. https://www.wri.org/insights/voting-rights-fundamental-democracy-climate-justice.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Resources Institute |title=Voting Rights Are Fundamental to Democracy and Climate Justice |date=19 July 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/voting-rights-fundamental-democracy-climate-justice |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldresourcesinstitute2021voting, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Voting Rights Are Fundamental to Democracy and Climate Justice}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = jul, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/voting-rights-fundamental-democracy-climate-justice}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }