Overview

San Francisco and its residents are at a turning point, with greater support for healthy homes and communities throughout the City than ever before. To build capacity in every community, SF Environment embraces the concept of environmental justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people—regardless of race, ethnicity, income or education level—in environmental decision-making. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the places where we live, play, learn, and work are safe and healthy, and we want the people of San Francisco to be active participants in making that goal a reality.

We work with local organizations on community-based projects to reduce climate change, promote healthy homes, and build sustainable neighborhoods. Our projects reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, prevent asthma triggers in low-income homes, and promote access to local, nutritious, fresh produce in underserved neighborhoods.

Education is key to engaging people in our community. SF Environment invests in a broad school education program, offering free field trips, assemblies, classroom presentations, and teaching materials to all K-12 City schools. We help schools build and maintain school gardens and compost green waste from school sites, including the cafeteria. We also provide guidance for schools’ efforts to adopt green policies and recognize those that excel with our annual awards program.

Another critical component of sustainability goes beyond empowering and educating to actually building the framework for real-life action. That is why SF Environment is helping to build a robust green economy with job opportunities at all skill and education levels. Our policies and programs drive demand in the green marketplace, and help prepare people for the jobs that will make San Francisco a greener, healthier place to live, play, learn, and work.