Green Equity Toolkit Webinar Overview

Toolkit Context & Overview Terry Keleher, ARC

tkeleher@arc.org

November 18, 2009

10:00 – 11:00 AM Pacific
Equity Strategies Yvonne Liu, ARC

Presented by:
yliu@arc.org

Case Study Elsa Barboza, SCOPE

ebarboza@scopela.org

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

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

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

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


--Green For All

 Equity Outcomes

Equity Principles

1.
Transparent and participatory planning

1.
Equal Opportunity & Fair Treatment
2.
Equitable distribution of high quality jobs

3.
Expanded employee-sponsored benefits

2.
Excellence & Efficacy

4.
Elimination of employment barriers and bias

3.
Health & Wellness

8.
Race and gender parity goals in contracting

4.
Human Rights and Workers’ Rights

9.
Green entrepreneurship opportunities

5.
Sustainability & Security

7.
Healthy and safe workplaces

6.
Transparency & Accountability
8.
Local hiring and contracting

9.
Expanded workforce development

Success Indicators: Examples
Suggestions for Using Toolkit

•
Create a broad-based community alliance.

Number and percentage of women and people of color…

• employed in high-quality new green jobs; compared to their •
Ask public officials to adopt equity principles,
percentage in local area
participatory process, full data collection.

• holding senior/supervisory level positions

• hired locally and owning local businesses awarded
contracts

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

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

Equity Strategies & Examples Equity Handles
Three goals:

• Equal Opportunity

Overview of equity handles

Federal
• Fair Labor Standards

• Living Wage
Illustrate how equity handles are used
Local
• Best Value Contracting

• Community Benefits
Agreement
Three applications of equity handles

Project
• Project Labor
Agreement

Three Equity Examples Green Job Training

Green Job Training

Green Social
Entrepreneurship

Green Retrofits in Los

Angeles

 Los Angeles Case Study

Green Social Entrepreneurship Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE)

Further Information

Green Equity Toolkit: arc.org/greenjobs

Applied Research Center: arc.org

SCOPE: scopela.org

Terry Keleher tkeleher@arc.org

Yvonne Liu yliu@arc.org

Elsa Barboza ebarboza@scopela.org