Podcast Miniseries: Just Transition in Action

As climate change impacts continue to intensify, how can governments and corporations take immediate climate action without harming the workers and communities whose incomes still depend on fossil fuels? The world needs a just transition — a shift toward a zero-emission economy that doesn’t leave people behind. The good news is this shift is already underway in many places, and we’re learning new things all the time about what works and what doesn’t.

Drawing on the snapshots compiled in WRI’s Just Transition and Equitable Climate Action Resource Center, this podcast series shares perspectives from people involved in just transition efforts around the world — coal plant workers, local politicians, public health activists, scientists and more — to paint a picture of what a just transition should look like.

Episodes

Respecting Community Rights in One of India’s Largest Solar Parks

The Pavagada solar park in southwest India is the third-largest in the world, and a huge sign of progress in the country’s efforts to ramp up renewable energy capacity. But other large-scale solar projects must learn from Pavagada’s missteps.

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Shutting a Coal Plant and Reviving a Small Town Economy in Tonawanda, New York

Declining tax revenues from the Huntley power plant forced Tonawanda to close public schools and reduce other community services. Now, the community is pioneering an economic plan that aims to breathe new life into the small town.

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Finding New Jobs for Laid Off Coal Workers in Southeast Australia

When the Hazelwood coal plant abruptly announced in 2016 that it would close in just five months, its employees feared for their future. Then the state government and the union worked together to come up with a plan.

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How to Phase Out Fossil Fuels Without Leaving People Behind

What does a just transition look like? As our guests explain, it’s about more than fossil fuel workers — and it depends a lot on the local context.
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