J. Mijin Cha, an assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz and expert on just transitions, delves into the urgent shift away from fossil fuels. She discusses the challenges faced by workers in fossil fuel regions and the vital role of equitable planning. The conversation reveals her innovative governance framework, the "Four+ Pillars," to guide just transition policies. Cha highlights contrasting approaches between the Inflation Reduction Act and public utility models, advocating for grassroots involvement and centralized support to ensure a fair transition for all communities.
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insights INSIGHT
Just Transition Research Focus
J. Mijin Cha studies just transitions from fossil fuels, focusing on worker and community impacts.
Their research prompted this book, addressing the need for a just transition beyond simply replacing fuels.
insights INSIGHT
Justice in Transition
A just transition looks different in every place, varying by industry and global region.
A four-pillar framework guides just transitions by addressing support systems for workers and communities.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Government's Role
Governments should lead transitions due to their long-term planning abilities and existing support systems.
Unlike the private sector, governments can provide long-term support like unemployment insurance.
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A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future
A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future
Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future
J. Mijin Cha
J. Mijin Cha's "A Just Transition for All" offers a comprehensive analysis of how to achieve a just transition away from fossil fuels. The book introduces a novel governance framework, the "Four+ Pillars," guiding the formulation of effective just transition policies. Cha's research combines theoretical discussions with empirical findings, providing insights into perceptions of just transition. The book emphasizes the importance of equitable policies that benefit all, not just fossil fuel workers. It charts a path toward a sustainable future that doesn't rely on fossil fuels, advocating for systemic change.
The Green New Deal from Below
The Green New Deal from Below
Unknown
Jeremy Brecker
Unknown
To meet the greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, a transition away from fossil fuels must occur, as quickly as possible. But there are many unknowns when it comes to moving from theory to implementation for such a large-scale energy transition, to say nothing of whether this transition will be “just.”
In A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future(MIT Press, 2024), J. Mijin Cha—a seasoned climate policy researcher who also works with advocacy organizations and unions—offers a comprehensive analysis of how we can actualize a just transition in the U.S. context and enact transformational changes that meaningfully improve people’s lives. Cha provides a novel governance framework called the “Four+ Pillars,” formulated from original research to provide a way to move from theory to practice. The “Pillars” framework includes a novel analysis that guides readers in understanding how to formulate effective just transition policies, what makes them just or unjust, and, similarly, what makes transition just and unjust. The framework also combines theoretical discussions with original empirical research and provides insights into perceptions of just transition. Grounded in real-world perspectives that make the case for policies that advance a just transition for all, not just fossil fuel workers, Cha charts the path forward to an equitable and sustainable future that no longer depends on fossil fuels.
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