The Climate Question - What will happen to the fossil fuel workers?

Download What will happen to the fossil fuel workers?

The rise of renewables is good news for the climate, but for millions of families who rely on fossil fuels for a paycheque, it means big changes.

People have been talking about a “just transition” for decades. The term was first used in the 1990s, when US unions were demanding help for those who'd lost their jobs because of tightening environmental laws. Now it means looking at how we decarbonise our economies around the world, without leaving certain people behind. Neal and Graihagh hear from Craig, Colorado, as it plans for the shut down of its coal mines.

They also hear from the Middle East and North Africa, where countries have relied on oil and gas for their economies. The money from fossil fuels has kept an instable region together in the past, so what happens when that money runs out?

Reporter: Sam Brasch, Colorado State Radio
Experts: Laury Haytayan, Middle East and North Africa director at the Natural Resource Governance Institute; Professor Paul Stevens, Distinguished Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme at Chatham House.

Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Researchers: Olivia Noon and Dearbhail Starr
Editor: Emma Rippon

Published on Monday, 8th March 2021.

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