Environmental Justice Movements and Environmental Policy Change: The Role of Community Knowledge and Place-Based Action
Environmental degradation, climate change, industrial pollution, and unequal exposure to environmental hazards have intensified concerns regarding environmental justice and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens across communities. Historically, environmental policymaking has been dominated by top-down regulatory approaches that frequently overlooked the lived experiences, cultural values, and local knowledge of populations disproportionately affected by environmental risks. Consequently, community-led environmental justice movements have emerged as influential actors advocating for inclusive governance, equitable resource allocation, and sustainable environmental management through grassroots mobilisation and place-based action. This study examines the role of community knowledge and locally grounded collective action in shaping environmental policy change through a qualitative desk-based documentary study that synthesises evidence from existing literature and documented environmental justice initiatives across urban, rural, and Indigenous contexts. It explores how participatory decision-making, citizen science, collaborative governance, and community-based advocacy strengthen environmental accountability, improve policy responsiveness, and promote socially equitable environmental outcomes. The study further develops a conceptual framework illustrating the interaction between community knowledge, stakeholder engagement, institutional responsiveness, and policy transformation. The findings demonstrate that integrating place-based knowledge into environmental governance enhances policy legitimacy, strengthens adaptive capacity, fosters long-term environmental stewardship, and supports more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable environmental policymaking capable of addressing complex socio-ecological challenges.