Resource Type: Social Science Research

The concept of a “just transition” has permeated mainstream discourse, yet those who will likely be most impacted by the energy transition – frontline workers and their communities – have mostly been excluded from the conversation. This report, derived from over 100 listening sessions and interviews with workers and frontline community members, encourages policymakers to:

Go Big: Be guided by a just transition vision that is ambitious and comprehensive in order to address the scope of impacts for affected communities and industries. Job creation, labor standards, and workers’ rights must be included.
Go Wide: Impacts from economic transitions can be felt in a number of ways, from financial to social to psychological. Policymakers should engage with existing social infrastructure such as labor unions, frontline community groups, and Indigenous nations to make sure support is readily available.
Go Far: While the climate crisis is urgent, just transition plans must not be fixated on the short-term. Instead, policymakers should include long-term commitments to workers and their communities as part of their vision and take into account differences in generational needs between older, established workers and those just entering the workforce.

In addition, the report addresses how labor and advocacy organizations need to develop authentic, trusting relationships with each other to build political and policy alignment around just transition goals. One way to start is to establish and expand internal committees and capacities to understand each other’s issues and perspectives.

This is the second part of a two-part training for organizers on approaches to better integrate digital tools into their work. This training looks at two integral aspects of organizing: recruiting new supporters (Recruiting – Part 1) and then keeping them coming back for the long-haul (Retention – Part 2). 

This is the first part of a two-part training for organizers on approaches to better integrate digital tools into their work. This training looks at two integral aspects of organizing: recruiting new supporters (Recruiting – Part 1) and then keeping them coming back for the long-haul (Retention – Part 2).
This session, Recruiting, explores the intersection of recruiting new supporters, the use of digital tools, and evidence-based insights to help organizers think through possible uses of digital tools for rinding new supporters in their daily workflows. This is for people with some organizing experience who are thinking about how to better use digital. The focus is on strategy and systems thinking around getting new members and then setting them up to become long-term members of your organization. It is not a tactical how-to for specific platforms or online-to-offline models.

The psychological factors most predictive of young people (age 16-25) participating in climate protests in Germany were personal connections and values. Specifically, the three factors were 1) perceiving friends participating in the movement, 2) identification with others engaging in climate protection, and 3) personal norms in the form of an obligation based on pro-environmental values. The protests were organized specifically by Fridays for Future. These young respondents also generally reported high levels—but less than the primary predictive factors—of “collective efficacy”, thinking climate change is a serious problem, and personal rage about government policy failure, but notably low perception of their parents participating in pro-environmental activism.             

What people say they would be willing to do differs from what they actually do. This nationally representative survey sheds light on what Americans think about domestic climate change policy, international policy, and more general attitudes about climate change. Key findings include that most Americans report doing low opportunity cost or easy climate friendly actions in their homes – like buying energy-efficient kitchen appliances (52%), setting thermostats to energy-efficient temperatures (62%), and using energy-efficient lightbulbs (89%). Significantly fewer people, however, report doing more difficult tasks like reducing food waste, composting, or buying products from climate-friendly companies. Unsurprisingly, even fewer people contact government officials, volunteer, or donate money, despite many reporting that they would be willing to do these things. Advocates interested in encouraging climate-friendly behaviors and actions should consider trying to reduce barriers or provide easy work arounds to folks.