[Note: This is just one take, of many, on what a just transition means, as put forward by the Just Transition Alliance.]

The increasing impacts of the climate crisis due to have made it clear that a clean energy transition is imperative. The Biden administration set a goal of creating a net-zero economy by 2050.  His proposed $1.7 trillion infrastructure bill would increase the government’s spending on clean energy by 27 percent. Though clean energy legislation still faces many hurdles, Biden's ambitious proposals indicate that the clean energy transition is at least on the horizon. But like any major transition, this one is not without complications. The transition to a clean energy economy will require significant changes to how the labor market operates, so it is important for legislators to consider how these changes will affect fossil fuel workers in particular, as well as communities most impacted by polluting industries.

A core aspect of ensuring a just transition to a clean, renewable energy economy is protecting the health and well-being of workers and communities that have been most harmed by polluting industries. The fossil fuel industry's environmental harms have long had an outsized impact on the country's most vulnerable populations — particularly people of color, indigenous, and working clas populations. A 2012 report from the NAACP found that 78 percent of Black people live within a 30-mile radius of a coal-powered plan, in comparison to 56 percent  of non-Hispanic whites. People of color are also more likely to live directly next to power plants, with Black and Hispanic populations 75 percent and 60 percent more likely to live in fenceline communities than the national average. Within these communities, residents are often low-income and experiencing poverty, and lack access to adequate healthcare. Considering that living within three miles of a fossil fuel plant increases chances of developing cancer and respiratory illnesses, residents often experience devastating health consequences. 

Transition planning also rarely acknowledges the manner in which labor rights and other social/environmental justice issues that result from a rapid shift in energy sources. If not managed carefully, a transition to alternative energy sources can bring its own suite of social ills. For example, the rush to build new hydropower energy sources has raised a number of human rights issues, such as the forced resettlement of communities (including indigenous communities).

 In other words, any transition must be a just one for all parties involved. But what would a just transition look like? The framework for a Just Transition, produced by the Just Transition Alliance, lays out key principles to protect the livelihoods and rights of those currently employed in polluting industries, those impacted by them, and the environment.

Clean energy initiatives have already taken a significant toll on labor in fossil fuel industries. From 2012 to 2019, the number of coal-mining jobs in the US shrunk from nearly 90,000 to 53,361.  It’s estimated that the United States will lose 34,000 jobs per year through 2050 during the switch to clean energy. While there will be millions of new jobs created from new, clean energy initiatives, it’s essential that those working for fossil fuel companies do not get left behind. For this clean energy transition to be equitable and viable, oil and gas workers need to be a part of the conversation. Otherwise, we run risk of leaving thousands of workers unemployed, widening class inequalities, and converting potential labor movement allies into adversaries. 

According to the Just Transition Alliance, there are six key principles of such a transition: 

1) Workers, community residents, and Indigenous Peoples around the world have a fundamental human right to clean air, water, land, and food in their workplaces, homes, and environment. 

2)  There is no contradiction between creating sustainable development, having a healthy economy, and maintaining a clean and safe environment. 

3) The weakening of environmental regulations, health and safety laws, and  labor rights in an era of corporate-led globalization and increased capital mobility knows no borders. Therefore, solutions call for local, regional, national, and global solidarity. 

4) The development of fair economic, trade, health and safety, and environmental policies must include both the frontline workers and fence-line communities most affected by pollution, ecological damage, and economic restructuring. 

5) The costs of achieving sustainable development, a healthy economy, and a clean environment should not be borne by current or future victims of environmental and economic injustices and unfair free trade policies.

6) Workers and community residents have the right to challenge any entity that commits economic and/or environmental injustices. These entities include governments, the military, corporations, international bodies, and mechanisms for securing corporate accountability.

The good news is that the transition to clean energy will expand the job market. The Biden administration’s plan has the potential to create over 10 million new jobs — more than enough to compensate for jobs lost in the fossil fuel industry. But current frontline fossil fuel workers, who often bear the brunt of climate change, must have access to retraining programs to learn the necessary skills and knowledge needed to work in renewable energy sectors. They must also be well-paid, allowed to unionize, and granted the right to safe working conditions.  Labor unions, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO), are advocating for just transition provisions to be written into public policies surrounding energy transitions. Some of the initiatives include climate adjustment assistance benefits and the formation of an advisory committee to create just transition strategies. The AFL-CIO also advocates for training and research programs to teach fossil fuel workers the skills necessary for the industry. 

The just transition framework emphasizes that the health, safety, and livelihoods of fossil fuel workers must be protected throughout the switch to clean energy. This includes receiving proper training to move into the clean energy sector. It also assures that communities, particularly those close to fossil fuel plants, are protected during the switch. This means protecting them from displacement, along with providing them access to basic human rights of clean air and water. 

What would a successful just transition policy look like? One state-level example is the Roadmap Bill, introduced to the Massachusetts Senate in 2021 by Michael J. Barrett, and would foster a more just transition to clean energy. It aims to achieve net-zero energy by 2050 through gradual reductions in consumption over five-year increments, while also creating retraining and research programs for fossil fuel workers and prioritizing equity and inclusion within the industry. These initiatives include an equity workforce and market development program that would maximize energy efficiency, as well as clean energy employment opportunities for minority- and women-owned small businesses. In March, Governor Baker of Massachusetts signed the bill. 

Also in Massachusetts, the Labor Resource Center hosted a forum in April 2021 during which state representative Marjorie Decker joined union representatives to talk about energy reform and opportunities for a state-level just transition. The speakers made it clear that the state government has the responsibility to not only ensure a transition to clean energy, but also to promote workers’ rights and safety in the process. One solution is hiring unionized companies for clean energy projects rather than the lowest-bidders, which are often fly-by-night organizations that offer poor services and underpay their workers. 

Another key takeaway from the forum was the need for coalition-building between workers, communities, and activists in order to facilitate a just transition. It is imperative for environmentalists and workers to build coalitions to hold the government accountable for promoting clean energy and just transition policies. Coalition building can help create a clean energy industry that not only places value on the environment but also on the rights and interests of the workers. Chrissy Lynch of the MA AFL-CIO mentioned that unions and environmentalists have been pitted against each other by polluting corporations. Lynch argued that the two groups need to use their shared interests, such as enforcing corporate tax regulations and government investments in public resources, to join forces.  

A just transition will not be a smooth, linear process. Protecting workers and communities will take immense amounts of time, money, and planning from federal, state, and local governments. The Biden Plan is a salient first step in the right direction, and it does mirror aspects of a just transition. This includes the $16 billion allocated for plugging oil and gas wells and cleaning up old mines under the American Jobs Plan, and the $40 billion investment to create a Dislocated Worker Program under the Department of Labor. Along with this, investments will be made to help create 100 percent broadband deployment, encompassing both rural and tribal communities, and improve infrastructure throughout the nation. With the demand for change becoming increasingly urgent, there’s a lot to be hopeful about. The collaborative work of climate activists, workers, and communities have helped to make this possible, and it is essential we continue to hold the government accountable for its promises. In the end, only a pro-worker, pro-union, pro-environmental/climate justice transition can bring deep and lasting solutions to economic inequality and the climate crisis.