California’s former governor Jerry Brown offers advice on how President-elect Joe Biden can ensure his climate policies incorporate equity, particularly for communities struggling economically. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/gov-jerry-brown-on-president-elect-biden-and-climate-equity/
For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/gov-jerry-brown-on-president-elect-biden-and-climate-equity/
Ethan: This is Ethan Elkind of Climate Break. Recently we chatted with former California Governor Jerry Brown about climate equity to find out how he’d advise the Biden Administration to make sure its climate policies benefit communities struggling economically.
Gov. Brown: Dealing with climate is also investing in the economy. And I hope that Biden will make major investments with his $2 trillion climate plan. While doing that, you have to keep in mind the equity component. Who's getting hired? Can you do work that can be made available to people who need those jobs and who can be trained and who can go up the ladder of ever better career activity?
Ethan: Beyond green job creation, Brown advises ensuring that dollars spent to address climate change are distributed among the hardest hit, most disadvantaged communities first.
Gov. Brown: The climate plan should take the redistributional challenge, given the gross disparities that now exist. There's no magic wand other than, okay, you're going to do this climate action, how does that affect people? What's the consequence? And I can tell you, if you're a low-income person, you're probably in a neighborhood that needs a lot of, a lot of work and a lot of consideration, not the least of which would be the effects of airborne pollutants. And that ought to be integral to any kind of climate plan.
Ethan: For examples of climate policies that can help communities disadvantaged by discrimination and pollution, and for more insights from Governor Brown, and more climate solutions, go to ClimateBreak.org or wherever you get your podcasts.