Please click here to register.
The Climate Action Standing Committee (CASC) is proud to present The Changing Climate of Work, a two-part webinar series examining how climate change and green transitions are reshaping jobs, politics, and education. Bringing together experts in labour, policy, and green economics, the series explores both opportunities and challenges for workers and communities in the context of a changing climate and shifting economic baseline.
Part 2, The Changing Climate of Work: Green Jobs, Skills, and Sector Transitions, focuses on concrete changes in workplaces and industries and explores how green transitions are transforming employment across sectors. Panelists will discuss emerging green jobs, evolving skill demands, and the roles of unions, employers, and educational institutions in supporting workers through rapid sector transitions.
Speakers
Scott Lunny is the Director of United Steelworkers District 3, representing USW members in Canada’s four Western provinces and three Northern territories. After earning a degree from the University of British Columbia, he began working for the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada (IWA) in 1994, serving as a staff representative, researcher, communications officer, and senior policy advisor to the IWA president. Lunny was actively involved in the planning and implementation of the historic merger of the IWA in 2004. In November 2021, Lunny was elected by the membership to the position of District 3 Director. As Director, Scott has worked to build an inclusive District: expanding local union leadership meetings and education sessions; building up District-wide networks, committees and capacity for equity-deserving members; and actively supporting the union’s indigenous engagement project and coordinators. Lunny sits on the Provincial Executive of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP), serves as a vice-president for the BC Federation of Labour and co-chairs the BCFL Climate Justice Job (CJJ) Standing Committee. He has also been active in Blue Green Canada and is working to establish a coalition of unions, environmental organizations and First Nations to advocate for green jobs and a clean industrial strategy for British Columbia. Scott is also president of the nonprofit Union Protein Project, a union charity advocating for food security. Scott lives in Richmond, B.C., with Nina and their three sons, Aidan, Gavin and Owen.
Jim Stanford is Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work, a labour economics think tank based in Vancouver, B.C. Jim is one of Canada’s best-known economists. He served for over 20 years as Economist and Director of Policy with Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector trade union (formerly the Canadian Auto Workers). He is quoted frequently in the print and broadcast media and contributes a regular column to the Toronto Star. He is also the Harold Innis Industry Professor in Economics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, Senior Fellow at the Robert L. Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies at the New School for Social Research in New York, and an Honorary Professor in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney. Jim received his Ph.D. in Economics from the New School for Social Research in New York. He also holds an M.Phil. in Economics from Cambridge University, and a B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from the University of Calgary. Jim is the author of Economics for Everyone: A Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism (second edition published by Pluto Books in 2015), which has been published in six languages.
Ben Simoni is the Executive Director of Youth Climate Corps BC, where he leads projects that create paid employment opportunities for young people while advancing climate action and community resilience. Before this, he received a Master’s in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University and was an outdoor leadership instructor for a decade, focusing on connection to place and leadership development for young adults. He works closely with governments, Indigenous communities, and local partners to develop workforce programs that support climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and environmental stewardship. Ben is passionate about building pathways for youth leadership in the “green” economy and strengthening collaboration between public, non-profit, and community sectors. His work focuses on scaling practical solutions that address climate challenges while creating inclusive economic opportunities for the next generation. Ben enjoys spending his time hiking and skiing with his wife and daughter around his home in Nelson, BC on unceded Sinixt, Ktunaxa, and Syilx territories.
