Saving Our Planet: Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy with Green Jobs

This weekend, I completed a 9-day Climate Reality Global (Online) Training which was created by former Vice President Al Gore. I am bummed that I was not able to meet Mr. Gore in person since it was a virtual event, but I am thrilled to have participated in a life-changing training with 10,000 others. One of my favorite benefits of the training was making new friends from across the globe.

Each day brought me new knowledge about the science of climate change and most importantly actions we can take to make a difference. As a green career coach, I am fixated on the importance of transitioning to a low carbon economy--one that will generate millions of new green jobs. I can envision a day where we are able to reduce our carbon emissions significantly and to prevent the worst of the climate change consequences.

The transition will start with creating exciting new green jobs in renewable energy, green infrastructure and buildings, sustainable transportation, regenerative farming, and other jobs that promote a circular economy (eliminating waste and pollution and promoting the perpetual reuse of materials). In addition to this transition to a low-carbon economy, climate change challenges will also be addressed with climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Before this training, I knew a bit about climate change but now I have gained a bigger picture view of the global effects. Here are a few astounding facts that I learned about the climate change crisis and how it is affecting the planet, our lives and our economy:

• The climate crisis is a national security issue. It affects the availability of food and water, increases contagious diseases (like COVID-19), and causes mass movements of people and wildlife.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that we may reach a threshold of global warming beyond which agriculture can be supported.
• People of Color and those from low-income families are affected disproportionately by climate change (flooding, health issues, etc.).
• 93 percent of extra heat from climate change is absorbed by oceans. This is expected to have significant impacts on our fisheries and all ocean life.

My biggest takeaway is that we must act now and in a big way. The clock is ticking and we have less than a decade to make big changes before the damage to our planet will be irreversible. Systematic changes are needed. It's too late to just take baby steps.

The most important systematic change, that is needed to slow down and reverse the effects of global climate change, is a transition quickly to a green, low-carbon economy. We can no longer continue to do business as usual--it is resulting in massive carbon emissions which continue to warm our planet and our planet cannot survive this.

One of the most inspiring sessions I attended at the Climate Reality training was the "Rebuilding with Green Jobs" panel discussion. We heard from an amazing global panel that was moderated by Helen Mountford, VP for Climate and Economics at the World Resources Institute on how we can map out a new and greener low carbon economy that works for all.

Mountford framed the discussion by saying that, "COVID-19 is currently having a devastating effect on lives and on communities around the world and it's led to an economic and employment crisis, the scale of which we haven't seen since the Great Depression."

On a positive note, she added that, "While no one would ever ask for such a crisis, it does mean we have a once in a generation or even once in a century moment to reset the broken economic and social systems that serve neither people or the planet today."

Panelist Bob Keefe, the Executive Director of E2, highlighted the three biggest opportunities in the U.S. for rebuilding with green jobs:

• Green buildings. Buildings use a third of all the energy that we use in this world and are responsible for 40% of all emissions. Bob says that, "We can get energy efficiency workers back on the job making the buildings better."
• The grid. According to Bob, "The U.S. has about 200,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines. A lot of those lines are more than 100 year old and they can't efficiently handle the renewables we are able to put on the grid." He also noted that the aging transmission lines are dangerous and have contributed to major wildfires out west.
• Offshore wind. Bob noted that, "The U.S. has 95,000 miles of coastline but we have almost no offshore wind. We are so behind Europe and other parts of the world." He added that, "E2 did a study a couple years ago, that looked at just 5 states in the Eastern Seaboard, and with modest investments we could create 25,000 new jobs (in offshore wind)."

In her panel remarks, Changhua Wu, Chief Executive Director, Beijing Future Innovation Center, highlighted the three biggest opportunities in China for rebuilding with green jobs:

• New infrastructure work. Wu noted that, "It creates many jobs quickly and has become the flagship of China's green stimulus." This is especially true in advanced digital infrastructure (5G, industry IoT, AI, and advanced sustainable mobility--including EV charging stations, light and high speed rails), and smart grids.
• The renewable energy sector. According to Wu, this sector already "employs more than 4 million people in China and is expected to generate 300,000 new RE jobs in China this year."
• The circular economy. In addressing life cycle and material flows, the circular economy is a third area where, according to Wu, "China is starting to see tremendous job creation driven by science and policy development."

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation, emphasized in her comments that, to ensure quality jobs and a just transition, "Every sector has to transition. And we want that to be a just transition because if you have stranded workers or stranded communities, you're not going to get the trust in rebuilding our economic future." She added that 2050 is the big hard deadline for a net zero economy and that we need industry policy to make it happen.

She expressed optimism for sustainable cities, noting that, "Cities are a big hope. If we can create livable cities on a net zero basis, it will also drive demand and supply into those other industry sectors: including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transport, and much more." She added that, "We have a chance to redesign the future to be inclusive, to be clean, and to be one of optimism where people can once again rebuild hope. But it will take all of us." She concluded that we need medium to long-term investments to make this happen, not short-term speculative investments.

I love that The Climate Reality Training is an amazing opportunity for anyone who wants to make a difference on climate change. This leadership training and volunteer experience is also an excellent way for people wanting to break into a green career, who do not have much environmental experience, to add something special to their resumes and LinkedIn profiles that green employers would value. So, keep an eye on their website for future trainings which will be held regularly--and sign up to participate in one! I highly recommend it.

In addition to participating in the 9 days of training (which amounts to about 2 hours/ day), participants commit to 10 leadership actions on climate change annually. You can give presentations, write articles or letters to the editor, meet with legislators, etc. This article is actually my first climate leadership action! I am starting to think about additional leadership actions after the training. One area I hope to focus my efforts on is advocating at the federal, state, and local levels for a transition to a greener, low carbon, and more just economy that works for all. Additionally, I plan to develop a presentation and information on careers that will make a difference on climate change as part of my own work with my company Green Career Advisor. Let me know if you would like to get a copy of my presentation when I complete it. Visit my website for my contact information.

As a green career coach for the past 16 years, I have had a unique birds eye view on green careers across a wide spectrum of sectors. I hear from so many people that want their careers to make a difference and to make our world more sustainable and equitable. I would be thrilled to see millions of new green jobs created, with a transition to a low-carbon economy, as I have seen the demand for them.This gives me tremendous hope for the future.

#ClimateReality #GlobalTraining #GreenJobs #ClimateChangeAction #GreenCareers #LowCarbonFuture #LeadOnClimate #InclusiveFuture #ClimateJustice #CircularEconomy