Building a Green Economy: Advancing Climate Justice through Labor-Environmental Alliances in California and British Columbia

• In Event: 501 - Regular Session. Resource Use, Conflict, and Environmental Justice

Abstract

The paper examines the role of environmental – labor coalitions in creating opportunities to promote green jobs and shape climate change policies. The development of a green economy is critical for combating climate change while also addressing rising unemployment and the expansion of precarious jobs. The paper examines the development of environmental-labor coalitions in the context of the shift to the green economy in California and British Columbia, including how the mobilization for green workforce training and jobs contributes to environmental and social justice. The study is based on in-depth ethnographic study of labor-environmental coalitions in California and British Columbia, including 56 in-depth digitally recorded interviews with labor and environmental movement leaders and policy makers and participant observation in the communities under investigation. The findings point to the importance of key mechanisms that shape the success of these coalitions – both internally in terms of relationship building and externally in terms of shaping policies – including the ability of organizations to recognize and make trade-offs and concessions, the importance of local political opportunities and resources, as well as the presence of bridge builders, especially at the local level.

Author

• Joanna L Robinson, York University