Join us for a discussion exploring the role of environmental justice and what a just transition means.
A recording of the webinar is available below.
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About the Event
Environmental justice and a just transition are critical to tackling the climate crisis and create a more equitable world for all. Yet awareness of environmental justice is uneven and the concept applies differently in different circumstances. The National Academies and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences held a discussion about reconciling different understandings of environmental justice, the importance of community engagement in a just transition, and how centering environmental justice can accelerate implementation of climate policies. Michael Méndez (University of California, Irvine)moderated the conversation between Paty Romero-Lankao (University of Toronto Scarborough) and Hilary C. Tompkins (Hogan Lovells)discussing current power dynamics and how having communities at the table can ensure a just transition for impacted communities.
Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action is a monthly webinar series from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that aims to convene high-level, cross-cutting, nonpartisan conversations about issues relevant to policy action on climate change.
Participant Bios
Hilary C. Tompkins serves as a partner in the Environment practice group and the head of the Native American practice area at Hogan Lovells in Washington, DC. Her current portfolio includes renewable projects on public lands and waters, representation of Indian tribes, and overseeing the firm’s pro bono Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy project. Hilary served on the American Academy's Commission on Accelerating Climate Action, which published "Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America" in October 2023. She previously served as Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior (2009-2017), overseeing all the legal issues of the agency, from energy, natural resources, and water issues to tribal trust, wildlife, and national parks. Hilary currently serves as a trustee for Dartmouth College and on the non-profit boards of the Environmental Law Institute and the Conservation Lands Foundation. Hilary is a member of the Navajo Nation.
Paty Romero-Lankao comes to the University of Toronto Scarborough from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where she was a distinguished research scientist. Paty examines crucial interactions among people and climate in many cities worldwide. She applies a transdisciplinary lens and community-engagement approach to her research on sustainability transitions, bringing social science perspectives to a field traditionally dominated by the natural sciences and engineering. Paty is a co-author of the National Academies of Sciences’ 2023 consensus study report, "Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions."
Michael Méndez is an assistant professor of environmental policy and planning at the University of California, Irvine and Visiting Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (through a National Science Foundation Early Faculty Career Award). He previously was the Pinchot Faculty Fellow at the Yale School of the Environment. His first book “Climate Change from the Streets,” published through Yale University Press (2020) was the winner of the Harold and Margaret Sprout Award, sponsored by the International Studies Association and the Association for Humanist Sociology’s Betty and Alfred McClung Lee Award. In 2022, he was awarded the Carnegie Fellowship. Michael is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Climate Crossroads Advisory Committee and a co-author of the National Academies of Sciences’ 2023 consensus study report, "Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions."
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the conversation are those of the participants and do not necessarily represent the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
