Policy and consensus language for a just transition to a renewable energy economy in Colorado
In the face of a changing climate and a changing economy, environmental organizations, labor unions, community advocacy groups, and the green faith community needed to work together to develop policy language they could all support. The organizations involved at the roundtable series had a mixed track record of working together and sometimes landed on opposite sides of a given piece of legislation. In 2018 and again in 2022, IBE was selected to help two different groups develop shared understanding, guiding principles, goals, and strategies that would be developed into policy recommendations for a just and equitable transition to a clean energy economy in Colorado. One roundtable series focused on just transitions for coal workers in Colorado and one series focused on oil and gas workers.
IBE fostered trust and dialogue between the organizations and individuals, helping to relieve tensions and invite constructive exchanges of perspective and expertise. The groups successfully developed shared values, guiding principles, and a set of mutually agreed upon targets and strategies for each principle. The outcomes of the collaborative work strengthened relationships between the diverse participants and helped them identify common ground for future legislation. In addition to facilitating the coal workers roundtable series, IBE provided graphic design and policy language development.
The work for the coal workers just transition series was made possible by a grant from the People’s Climate Movement while the oil and gas workers roundtable series was hosted by The Alliance Center and the Regenerative Recovery Coalition.
Related Article: http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/21975/colorado-just-transition-labor-coal-mine-workers-peoples-climate-movement
Project Goals
- Increase capacity and improve relationships to work on contentious issues together
- Achieve alignment on vision and principles, including over 80% agreement on goals and strategies
- Inform and support passage of legislation at the State level, specifically HB-1314 for the creation of a Just Transitions office and SB-236 focused on securitization of coal-fired power plants that was supported by labor and environmental groups alike
Deliverables
- Design and facilitation of six half-day regenerative dialogue sessions for each roundtable series
- Graphic representation of vision, values, and principles (coal workers series)
- Policy language development and documentation of guiding principles, goals, and strategies