This is part two of our discussion series with the leadership of the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA). This conversation will focus on how CJA members are critically engaging with the Green New Deal to advance the kind of practical climate solutions that alliance organizations have been developing for decades. We will also talk about the limitations of Biden's Build Back Better agenda in relation to COP26.

Monica Atkins is based in Jackson, Mississippi, and is one of CJA's dynamic new leaders. Monica journeyed to CJA via her work at the intersection of the trade union and solidarity economy movements with Cooperation Jackson. Comprised of over 70 frontline organizations from Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, and white working class urban and rural communities, the Climate Justice Alliance is one of the leading advocates for climate justice in North America. Unlike many of the alliances and formations in the struggle for climate justice that focus primarily on policy, lobbying, or mass mobilization, CJA members work to advance viable solutions at the community level—including the development and implementation of new, autonomous institutions and productive systems.

The first interview in this series was with Ozawa Bineshi Albert, Co-Executive Director of the Climate Justice Alliance. The interview focused on COP26, its limitations, and what grassroots forces are doing to advance concrete solutions to the climate crisis. You can view that video here.

Beyond the Limitations of the Green New Deal

A Discussion with Monica Atkins of the Climate Justice Alliance