Just transition

One of the key questions we ask people is: What does a just transition mean to you?

There are a number of concepts out there. They generally refer to both a just transition for workers (making sure decarbonization does not leave anyone behind, and that new jobs are high-road jobs), as well as to the many dimensions of environmental and climate justice.

This is not a comprehensive list of resources, but a few starting points for people who may be new to the concept, with a focus on the United States context:

Policy:

In the US, energycommunities.gov explains some of the federal resources for revitalizing America’s energy communities. The Just Transition Fund helps communities navigate these opportunities.

Organizations:

The BlueGreen Alliance unites labor and environmental organizations.

The Climate Jobs National Resource Center and the Climate Jobs Institute have resources about how to build a worker-centered renewable economy.

The Climate Justice Alliance worked with frontline communities to create a framework which emphasizes moving from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

The Socio-Spatial Climate Collaborative is a research group that does collaborative critical social science on the climate emergency.

The Climate and Community Project is a climate policy think tank that does research on climate and inequality.

Recommended books on the energy transition and justice:

Shalanda Baker’s 2021 book Revolutionary Power explains policies that can further energy justice.

Andrew Curley’s 2023 book Carbon Sovereignty is a scholarly book that examines the consequences of the energy transition in the Navajo Nation.

Keep your eyes out for a new book by just transition researcher Mijin Cha (Dec. 2024), A Just Transition For All.

Also look out for sociologist Hilary Angelo’s forthcoming book on public lands and decarbonization, foreshadowed by her piece in Harper’s magazine, “Boomtown: A solar land rush in the West.”