Program on the Environment

The adoption of diversity commitments within environmental organizations is a promising step; however, diversity work cannot stop there. Promoting an inclusive environmental workplace requires context-driven actions. The goal of this study is to understand the history of the labor force in the environmental movement and what structural changes are necessary to increase minority representation in green careers. Through my internship with the Environmental Program at Partner in Employment (PIE), I had the opportunity to work with PIE’s restoration crew, comprised of immigrant and refugee youth living in South King County. I gathered insights through interactions with program participants, interviews with PIE staff, outreach to environmental organizations in Seattle, and an extensive literature review on barriers to employment for immigrant and refugee communities. This study identified three key focus areas for increasing environmental organizations’ capacity for diversity. The first is workplace culture and belonging, which includes language and translation support, cultural sensitivity, and religious accommodations. The second is better pay and benefits, as immigrants and refugees often rely on a steady income to support their families. The third focus area is establishing an unbiased hiring process that values transferable skills over networking, education, or credentials. Although the research for this project focused on immigrant and refugee communities, these key focus areas foster diversity in a broader context. Taking concrete steps to improve the work culture and labor conditions within the environmental movement will have lasting impacts, increasing the movement’s capacity for innovation and growth through collaboration across diverse backgrounds and perspectives.