President Biden’s American Jobs Plan promises big investments in the clean-energy economy, including clean energy workforce and education programs. Economic progress and clean climate action are inextricably linked. 

But how can we make sure that those dollars go to communities of color who have already been most impacted by climate change and consistently shut out of past federal programs promising transformational change? And to gender minorities who are underrepresented in certain green fields?

This week, we hear from folks in government, the nonprofit sector, the renewable energy space and academia about what it will really take to usher in a just transition.

Katharine Wilkinson speaks with solar entrepreneur Bob Blake; The Partnership for Southern Equity’s Chandra Farley; New Jersey Deputy Secretary For Higher Education Diana Gonzalez; and Brooking Institute Fellow Christina Kwauk.

Resources:

• More on Bob Blake’s Company, Solar Bear
• The Partnership for Southern Equity
• More about Diana Gonzalez and her work in NJ
• Christina Kwauk’s Green Learning Agenda
• Christina’s ‘Education Moonshot’ Plan

Follow our co-hosts and production team:

• Leah Stokes
• Katharine Wilkinson
• Stephen Lacey
• Jaime Kaiser

A Matter of Degrees is a production of Post Script Audio. For more episodes and transcripts, visit our website.