Transition Derby

Peter Robinson who convenes Derby Climate Coalition and has been instrumental in establishing the national Climate Alliance http://www.climatealliance.co.uk/ gave a talk to TDUK about a learning exchange he went on to California in March 2011 with a group from the ‘Institute for Public Policy Research’ www.ippr.org/  They visited many projects and met with trades unionists, academics, businesses and community groups.

‘Richmond Build’ was one of the projects. This is a green-job training project in the Oakland area of San Francisco Bay. 3 cohorts between the ages of 17-35 of people with severe disadvantages such as being unable to read and write, are trained each year in some of the skills involved in installing PV and insulation. Finance for such initiatives come from California State and City funds. However there was concern that the work was not at a high standard. Despite that, for many, it proved a stepping stone with 70% going on to get paid jobs.

Another project was ‘Sunpower’. This is sited in the upper part of the manufacturing depot where Roosevelt had requisitioned Ford to switch from production of ‘Model T’s’ to tanks. They manufacture highly efficient solar panels http://us.sunpowercorp.com/homes/sunpower-advantage/ and monitor production in South Korea and the Philippines from the Oakland base. Peter commented that developments in efficiency of such products will increase affordability and result in  a greater chance of combating climate change.

The third project which Peter talked about was ‘The Breakthrough Institute’. They had published a controversial book in 2008 http://thebreakthrough.org/breakthroughbook.shtml which made the case ‘why we can’t leave saving the planet to environmentalists’. They envisage that capitalism can change direction and are exponents of relating to business interests in terms of the ‘greater return’ that greener priorities could deliver. Unfortunately Obamas’ promise of 3 million green jobs has not taken place and this has been damaging to the Governments credibility. The Institute finds that even those that have been created are low skill ‘caulk-gun’ jobs. They expressed their worry about how far the States are lagging behind Asia in developing new technologies and manufacturing. Peter’s presentation showed graphs of how manufacturing had declined as a percentage of GDP from 28.3% to 11% between 1950-2000.

He then spoke about the importance of wide coalitions now referred to as ‘circles of stakeholders’, citing his own experience in South Africa. When business recognised that ending apartheid was in its own interest, the long fought-for cause was won. John Beardmore questioned how far UK Coal is now ‘teetering on the brink’ while Graham Truscott pointed to one of the current strands of Tony Greenham of New Economics Foundation work being to open up the thinking of investors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miL_m34T770

The discussion then turned to incorporating climate considerations in the campaign to ‘Save Bombardier’ in Derby.

Green and Decent Jobs – the case for local action. An IPPR Scoping Paper June 2010 http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2011/05/Green%20and%20decent%20jobs_1782.pdf

Report of the US visit
http://www.ippr.org/publications/55/7756/green-expectations-lessons-from-the-us-green-jobs-market

Rosy