STOP PRESS
The Campaign Against Climate Change has published its new book Climate Jobs: building a workforce for the climate emergency. We held the first of two launch events on February 12th (part 1) and the second on March 12th (part 2). You can watch, or rewatch, both events here.
Part 2 introduces Dr Jo Cutter, a lecturer in Work and Employment Relations, who talks about her recently published work on worker perceptions of climate change and the green transition; and Jenny Patient, the Just Transition Policy Officer for the Regional TUC.
See here for details of a further event in South Yorskshire to further this work across our region.
The book works through in detail what is needed in each sector and is itself short and readable, because the technical detail is kept in a series of technical companions that provide the evidence for assertions and projected jobs. The links at the bottom of the page include a link to this book.
The concept of a Just Transition requires that workers displaced from soon to be obsolete fossil fuel based industries are supported into equivalent well paid and skilled jobs in new, green sectors of the economy. The Just Transition also requires extending to create secure employment for those currently left behind by the highly unequal fossil fuel economy.
Whether the local, national and global economy is based on zero growth, Doughnut Economics, a circular economy or an evolutionary change from extraction and exploitation to fairness and sustainability, it does not involve a “step backwards” into a mythical past. Quite the opposite. It involves a step forwards into a future of greater equality, improved quality of life and strengthened communities.
For this transition to occur, we need expansion of climate friendly sectors of the economy alongside the contraction and ultimate removal of those sectors that drive climate change.
This list is not exhaustive, but we need to see rapid development in the following sectors:
- Home insulation and retrofit
- Commercial building insulation and retrofit
- Zero carbon transport infrastructure, rail, bus, cycling, electric vehicle infrastructure…
- Decarbonisation of carbon-intensive industries through technological innovation
- Continued expansion of wind and solar generation alongside other renewables
- Continued greening of waste management
- Ecosystem regeneration
- Natural Carbon sequestration through tree planting, soil management, kelp forest renewal and peatland restoration
- Zero carbon farming and food production
Just Transition Wakefield exists to help make this happen. It is key to the successful decarbonizing of the Wakefield economy and a key part of our partnership with Wakefield Council. It is an explicit focus of the new Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission. This is why we have worked closely with other groups to write to the West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, asking her to set up a Green Jobs Taksforce which incorporates employers and trade unions as well as environmental activists. This has been achieved and we look forward to working with the taskforce to build the future.
A lot of work has been done on this already – resources can be found using the following links.
policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/download/green-jobs-report-emergency-plan-green-jobs-young-people
pcancities.org.uk/tracking-local-employment-green-economy-pcan-just-transition-jobs-tracker
www.campaigncc.org/climatejobs For full details of the book Climate Jobs: building a workforce for the climate emergency
https://www.greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/
If you would like to get involved in our new and growing network, please contact us.