This spring, the UCSB Community Labor Center hosted an important, of the moment conversation on climate justice and labor with Professor J Mijin Cha, author of A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future. The event, Energy and Equity for All, was moderated by Dr. David Pellow of the Bren School and brought together UCSB students, faculty, Central Coast labor leaders, and community advocates to explore what a just green energy transition should look like for workers and communities across California.
Dr. Cha, an assistant professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz, shared insights from her research on the intersection of climate policy and economic inequality. She emphasized the importance of centering frontline communities and labor voices in shaping policies around renewable energy and sustainable development — particularly as California moves toward offshore wind and other large-scale energy projects.
The Community Labor Center also partnered with the CCCJN and CEC to bring this conversation to a broader off-campus audience at the CEC’s Environmental Hub on State Street in the evening.
Thank you to everyone who attended these events — especially our community and labor partners who traveled from across the Central Coast and beyond. Your participation was vital to the discussion at hand.
We look forward to continuing these conversations with partners and allies on and off campus!
This event was co-sponsored by Central Coast Climate Justice Network, Community Environmental Council, The 2035 Initiative, the Blum Center, the Bren School, the Center for Restorative Environmental Work, the Central Coast Labor Council, and the Environmental Studies Program.