We know that climate change disproportionately affects those of us who are already struggling. But can climate mitigation and adaptation policy be designed in a way that promotes environmental justice? And if so, how? We speak with Anna Shipp, Principal Policy Associate, and Joseph Schilling, Senior Research Associate, from the Urban Institute’s Research to Action Lab about Justice40 — a Biden-era initiative that directed 40% of federal climate spending benefit equity-deserving communities.

The Urban Institute, a nonprofit focused on equity and social mobility, has studied climate justice in depth, including the challenges of implementing Justice40. Although the initiative was repealed under the Trump administration, it remains one of the most ambitious attempts to embed environmental justice into federal climate policy — and offers valuable lessons for future efforts.

The transition off of fossil fuels is important and needs to happen, but it will affect the livelihoods of oil and gas workers and those in fossil fuel dependent communities. How can we make sure the transition is just and people-centered?

We spoke with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, a senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Hadrian’s work focuses on the social and economic dimensions of Canada’s shift toward a zero-carbon economy, including the necessity of a just transition for vulnerable workers and communities across the country. He is a contributor to the CCPA's Trade and Investment Research Project and Alternative Federal Budget. Hadrian holds a MA in Political Economy from Carleton University. Hadrian explains the concept of a people-centered just transition and the challenges Canada will have to overcome to move away from fossil fuels. We also discussed the policies that are needed to help workers transition into new industries, including the need for green industrial policy.

We spoke with Dr. Samantha Montano, an assistant professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and author of Disasterology: Dispatches From the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis. In this conversation, Samantha explains the counterintuitive reality that the people who most need support during a disaster tend to get less government assistance, and her suggestions for how emergency management can be reformed to support disaster justice.

Welcome to Season 4 of Pullback, where we’ll be focusing entirely on climate justice — what it means, why it matters, and the policies we can implement today to address the crisis and build a fairer world. In this first episode, hosts Kristen and Kyla explore how climate change is already impacting people around the world, including the ways it’s deepening existing inequalities — especially for communities that are already marginalized.