Search Climate Insights Directory
118 results
Decline of the United Kingdom's Steel Industry: Lessons from Industrial Transitions
The document analyzes the decline of the UK steel industry over 50 years, noting a workforce reduction from 320,000 in the early 1970s to 5-10% of that figure today. It identifies negative outcomes including job losses, environmental contamination, and barriers to reemployment such as wage differentials. The brief argues that local support organizations are insufficient and calls for wider regional economic development policies focused on diversification, supply-chain support, urban regeneration, and workforce upskilling.
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Document type: Briefing
Towards the Energy System of Tomorrow | Briefing | EESI
The document outlines a discussion on transitioning the U.S. energy system, focusing on repurposing existing infrastructure, ensuring the affordability and reliability of renewables, and addressing the impacts of energy modernization on marginalized communities and the workforce.
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Document type: Briefing
Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States
The document analyzes the multi-decade decline of the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, and the city's subsequent economic transition. It presents two contrasting narratives: one highlighting the successful diversification into a high-tech hub and the other emphasizing persistent poverty, urban decay, and widening inequality. The study concludes that while leveraging existing infrastructure and university partnerships can spur growth, targeted interventions are necessary to protect low-skilled workers and address environmental legacies.
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Document type: Case study
Scotland: Re-skilling through the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund
The Scottish Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund (2016–2019) provided grants of up to £4,000 to help workers in the declining oil and gas sector transition to new employment. Managed by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the program supported 4,272 workers, achieving high employment rates, although approximately half of those re-employed remained within the oil and gas industry. The program's success informed the subsequent £25 million National Transition Training Fund launched in 2020 to support workers in declining sectors and promote green jobs for a net-zero economy.
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Document type: Case study
Colorado, United States: State-Level Planning for a Just Transition from Coal
Colorado has established a first-of-its-kind legislative framework to manage the transition from a coal-based energy economy, creating a Just Transition Office and Advisory Committee to support workers and rural communities. The state's strategy includes 11 recommendations for worker retraining and community economic diversification, alongside a securitization mechanism (SB-236) to accelerate the closure of uneconomic coal plants. However, the initiative faces significant challenges, including a lack of clear funding, severe understaffing of the Just Transition Office, and a narrow focus that excludes the natural gas and petroleum sectors.
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Document type: Case study
Alberta, Canada: Supporting Both Workers and Communities to Ensure a Just Transition
Alberta, Canada, committed to ending coal power pollution by 2030, a goal it is currently exceeding. To manage the transition, the province established the Climate Leadership Plan, which included an economy-wide carbon tax and the 'Off-Coal Agreements' providing CAD 1.36 billion to utilities for converting to natural gas. The government implemented a CAD 40 million Coal Workforce Transition Fund offering retirement bridges, relocation assistance, and tuition vouchers, alongside a CAD 5 million Coal Community Transition Fund for economic diversification. While social dialogue and early phase-out progress are strengths, challenges remain regarding the long-term availability of funding and the risk of investing in non-climate-friendly infrastructure.
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Document type: Case study
Ethiopia: Expanding Opportunities for Women in the Electricity Sector
The Ethiopia Electric Utility (EEU) is working to increase women's representation in the electricity sector, targeting 30% female employment by 2023. These efforts include STEM scholarships, internships, the establishment of childcare centers, and the creation of policies to combat sexual harassment and gender-based violence. The program is supported by a $4.5 million allocation within the Ethiopia Electrification Program (ELEAP), funded by the World Bank and other grants.
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Document type: Case study
Supporting the Nation’s Coal Workers and Communities in a Changing Energy Landscape
The document estimates that providing comprehensive supports—including wage replacement, education, and relocation allowances—for dislocated coal workers in the U.S. would cost between $33 billion over 25 years and $83 billion over 15 years. It details the methodology used to calculate the number of affected workers, utilizing 2019 data to identify 52,804 coal miners and an estimated 37,071 power plant workers. The analysis assumes a total coal phaseout between 2030 and 2040, focusing on 'dislocated' workers who will not reach retirement age by the end of the transition.
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Document type: Report
Supporting the Nation’s Coal Workers and Communities in a Changing Energy Landscape
The document argues that the US shift away from coal has occurred without adequate planning, leaving workers and communities to face economic upheaval. It proposes a support package including wage replacement, educational benefits, and community infrastructure investments, estimating the cost between $33 billion and $83 billion. The brief identifies 462 'coal counties' and highlights the need for environmental remediation of mine and plant legacies to enable future economic diversification.
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Document type: Policy brief
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
Conservation corps in the United States employ youths, veterans, and seniors in environmental restoration and resilience projects. These programs, modeled after the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, provide workforce training in green skills while reducing federal land maintenance costs. Current efforts to expand these programs include President Biden's 2021 Civilian Climate Corps Initiative and various legislative proposals to increase national service positions and funding for reforestation and public land restoration.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
The document details the evolution of conservation corps in the U.S., from the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps to modern initiatives like the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. It highlights the environmental benefits of these programs, such as reforestation and disaster response, and their economic impact, including workforce development and cost-efficient land management. The text also outlines various funding mechanisms and recent legislative efforts, including President Biden's 2021 executive order for a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative, aimed at scaling up resilience and sustainability efforts.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Steps to Aid US Fossil Fuel Workers in the Clean Energy Transition
The briefing outlines a strategy for the U.S. federal government to support fossil fuel workers facing displacement due to the energy transition and the economic impact of COVID-19. It proposes three immediate federal interventions: employing workers to rehabilitate abandoned coal mines and plug orphan oil and gas wells, expanding funding for existing economic development programs like the POWER Initiative and the EDA ACC program, and utilizing innovative financial mechanisms such as securitization to lower costs for ratepayers and fund community support. For long-term stability, the author advocates for a comprehensive federal energy transition adjustment assistance program modeled after the Department of Labor's Trade Adjustment Assistance, providing retraining, relocation allowances, and wage insurance.
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Document type: Briefing
How Coal Country Can Adapt to the Energy Transition
The document examines the decline of the U.S. coal industry, driven by cheaper natural gas and renewables, and the resulting workforce crisis. It argues that a successful transition requires more than just shifting to another single industry; it necessitates broad economic diversification. The brief outlines potential employment opportunities in clean energy, energy efficiency, environmental remediation (such as mine reclamation and forest restoration), broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship. It also reviews proposed federal frameworks, such as the National Economic Transition Office, and highlights regional initiatives in Appalachia and the West that support displaced workers through retraining and community-led development.
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Document type: Briefing
How Coal Country Can Adapt to the Energy Transition
The document examines the decline of the U.S. coal industry, driven by cheaper alternative energy and rising extraction costs, and the resulting workforce crisis. It evaluates various federal legislative proposals and existing programs aimed at economic diversification, such as the RECLAIM Act and EDA grants. The brief highlights opportunities for transition in renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental restoration, broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship, emphasizing that a 'just transition' requires a holistic, community-driven approach rather than a simple shift from one single industry to another.
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Document type: Briefing
Overview of the Workforce Wednesdays series
The document outlines a series of briefings focused on workforce development for a low-carbon recovery following the COVID-19 crisis, highlighting the specific challenges and opportunities for small businesses in energy efficiency, marine renewable energy, and climate adaptation.
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Document type: Briefing
The Wonders of Weatherization: Improving Equity through Stimulus Funding
The briefing advocates for increased stimulus funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to combat energy insecurity and racial disparities in the US. It highlights that low-income and non-White households face disproportionately high energy burdens and insecurity. Drawing on the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the document suggests that expanding WAP to include electrification, investing in workforce diversity, and improving administrative coordination can maximize public health and economic benefits.
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Document type: Briefing
Regulatory Solutions for Building Decarbonization
The report argues that current utility regulation is incompatible with an all-electric future and proposes ten strategies to decarbonize US buildings. It emphasizes electrification via heat pumps as the primary solution, warning that alternative fuels like biomethane are costly and limited in scale. Key recommendations include reforming electricity rate designs, updating energy efficiency standards to account for total emissions, and proactively managing the retirement of gas infrastructure to avoid stranded asset risks and inequitable cost burdens on low-income customers.
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Document type: Report
Ensuring a Fair Transition for US Fossil Fuel Workers in Economic Recovery
The policy brief contends that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing vulnerabilities in the U.S. fossil fuel industry, making a fair transition for workers urgent. It advises against using federal stimulus for fossil fuel assets, suggesting instead that investments be directed toward low-carbon infrastructure, which creates more jobs per million dollars spent. The author proposes a four-part framework for a fair transition: accounting for automation and digitization, planning proactively across all carbon-intensive industries, recognizing that clean energy jobs may not be a direct replacement for all fossil fuel roles due to geographic and skill gaps, and employing bottom-up, community-led investment strategies.
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Document type: Policy brief
Environmental justice should be central to our work to advance climate solutions every day
The document asserts that low-income and minority communities disproportionately suffer from negative environmental impacts and that the transition to a decarbonized economy must embed environmental justice to ensure no one is left behind. It highlights the importance of centering the lived experiences of impacted residents, citing the Green Door Initiative's efforts to provide workforce training for brownfield cleanup in Detroit and the LA SAFE program's community-centered resilience work in coastal Louisiana.
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Document type: Statement
Jobs in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Resilience
The document provides a comprehensive overview of 'green jobs', highlighting that the U.S. energy efficiency sector employs over 3 million people and the global renewable energy sector employed 11 million people in 2018. It details specific employment figures for various technologies—such as solar, wind, and biofuels—and identifies China as the global leader in renewable energy employment. Additionally, it notes the emergence of climate adaptation and resilience jobs, though standardized data collection for these roles remains limited.
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Document type: Fact sheet