Green Toolkit Webinar

Green Equity Toolkit Webinar Overview
Toolkit Context & Overview Terry Keleher, ARC
[email protected]


November 18, 2009
10:00 – 11:00 AM Pacific
Presented by:


Equity Strategies Yvonne Liu, ARC
[email protected]


Case Study Elsa Barboza, SCOPE
[email protected]


Questions & Answers via chat.




The Huge Potential of Green Jobs
An expanded and equitable green economy can:

• positively transform all our communities,

• sustain our whole environment, and

•lift the quality of all our lives.
But only if race, gender and economic equity are explicit goals of green development.


•
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act: $200 billion for program areas that generate green jobs.
•
$5 billion invested in energy efficiency and renewable energy could create 5 million jobs.
•
Public spending on green initiatives can create 20% more jobs than traditional economic stimulus.


Green Gone Gray
• Race & Gender Inequities: White men dominate jobs in all green sectors and sectors most job creation is expected. (White men: 80.7% of energy jobs. Women: only 1.5% of energy efficiency jobs.)


• Low-quality jobs: “green” jobs can be low paying and no more likely to be unionized or have safe working conditions. (Green manufacturing jobs pay 60% less than auto sector.)


Framing Green Jobs Equitably


Framing Green Jobs Expansively
• Green applies to the natural and built environment. It includes people and communities.
• Ecosystems are all-inclusive and interconnected. Any part left behind affects the whole.
• The concept of “green” is holistic and humane. “Eco-friendly is people-friendly.”


Green Jobs Defined


• Green development must strive to evenly distribute opportunities, benefits and safeguards.



Green-Collar Jobs are “well-paid, career track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality.


• Disadvantaged communities should be first in line to reap the benefits of the green economy.



--Green For All


Equity Outcomes


Equity Principles


1.
Transparent and participatory planning
1.


Equal Opportunity & Fair Treatment


2.


Excellence & Efficacy


3.


Health & Wellness


4.


Human Rights and Workers’ Rights


5.


Sustainability & Security


6.


Transparency & Accountability


2.


Equitable distribution of high quality jobs


3.


Expanded employee-sponsored benefits


4.


Elimination of employment barriers and bias


8.


Race and gender parity goals in contracting


9.


Green entrepreneurship opportunities


7.
Healthy and safe workplaces
8.
Local hiring and contracting
9.


Success Indicators: Examples
Number and percentage of women and people of color…


Expanded workforce development


Suggestions for Using Toolkit
•
Create a broad-based community alliance.


• employed in high-quality new green jobs; compared to their percentage in local area


•
Ask public officials to adopt equity principles, participatory process, full data collection.


• holding senior/supervisory level positions


•
Support proposals with explicit gender and race equity outcomes, using equity strategies.


• hired locally and owning local businesses awarded contracts


•
Actively monitor and evaluate programs, using suggested indicators and data sources.


Equity Strategies & Examples Three goals:
Overview of equity handles


Illustrate how equity handles are used


Three applications of equity handles


Three Equity Examples Green Job Training
Green Social Entrepreneurship
Green Retrofits in Los Angeles


Equity Handles

Federal
Local
Project


• Equal Opportunity • Fair Labor Standards

• Living Wage • Best Value Contracting • Community Benefits Agreement • Project Labor Agreement

Green Job Training

Green Social Entrepreneurship

Further Information
Green Equity Toolkit: arc.org/greenjobs
Applied Research Center: arc.org
SCOPE: scopela.org


Terry Keleher [email protected]
Yvonne Liu [email protected]
Elsa Barboza [email protected]


Los Angeles Case Study
Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE)