Overview

Why the energy transition must be more than a fuel source replacement, and how we can seize the opportunity of the transition to build a more just future for all. Why the energy transition must be more than a fuel source replacement, and how we can seize the opportunity of the transition to build a more just future for all. 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, not least regarding the social impact. In A Just Transition for All, J. Mijin Cha-a seasoned climate policy researcher who also works with advocacy organizations and unions-offers a comprehensive analysis of how we can 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 the interests of all, not just of 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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9780262550796

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Reviews

“The real promise of the book rests here, in its description of necessary systemic changes and how they might be achieved. As suggested by the subtitle, one pathway to a just future is through the agency of labor and community organizing. Cha offers inspiring examples of how local actors can effectively challenge existing power structures.” — Places “… A Just Transition for All … is an important read not only for those concerned about climate change but also those concerned with labor rights, social justice, and economic equality as well.” —Industrial and Labor Relations Review

“The real promise of the book rests here, in its description of necessary systemic changes and how they might be achieved. As suggested by the subtitle, one pathway to a just future is through the agency of labor and community organizing. Cha offers inspiring examples of how local actors can effectively challenge existing power structures.” — Places

“The real promise of the book rests here, in its description of necessary systemic changes and how they might be achieved. As suggested by the subtitle, one pathway to a just future is through the agency of labor and community organizing. Cha offers inspiring examples of how local actors can effectively challenge existing power structures.” — Places “… A Just Transition for All … is an important read not only for those concerned about climate change but also those concerned with labor rights, social justice, and economic equality as well.” —Industrial and Labor Relations Review “A brilliant, field-defining book based on years of fieldwork with workers and communities. This text will radically improve public and scholarly debates on climate politics.” —Daniel Aldana Cohen, Assistant Professor of Sociology, UC Berkeley; coauthor of A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal “Crisply written, sharply analytical, and deeply rooted in movement organizing, A Just Transition for All provides clarity on the conversations around economic, environmental, and social justice and offers guideposts for a better future for our planet.” —Manuel Pastor, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity, University of Southern California; Director, USC Equity Research Institute “… A Just Transition for All is a call to action. It is an important read not only for those concerned about climate change but also those concerned with labor rights, social justice, and economic equality as well. Continuing to exploit resources and people in building solar installations or electric vehicles continues the same cycle of exploitation and extraction that drives the climate crisis. Renewable energy built by exploiting labor is a choice, Cha reminds us, not a necessity. Different choices and policy decisions can be made that center the health and well-being of people and planet. Addressing the climate crisis is an opportunity to transition to a more just future, but like so many opportunities, they are merely theoretical unless acted upon.” —ILR Review

Author Information

J. Mijin Cha is Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is also a Fellow at Cornell University's Climate Jobs Institute, a Fellow at the Climate and Community Project, and a member of the Just Transition Listening Project research team.

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