Green Justice
A "Green" Economy is a Sustainable Community Economy
We must repair economic inequities by promoting family sustaining "green" jobs, career pathways and local, community-owned businesses.
Marginalized communities must be at the forefront of building a "Green Economy"
Low income communities and communities of color and working families that have been overburdened by the dirty fossil-fuel economy and who have been left out of decision-making structures must take a lead role in building a sustainable green economy.
Building the ADP Green Zone:
A collaborative project spearheaded by the Green Justice Coalition involving several businesses, agencies and organizations including Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo), Community Labor United, Environmental Compliance Services (ECS), Alliance to Develop Power and United for Hire, The Green Zone project will provide the training to create skilled, full-time jobs and make 75 residences in a targeted Springfield, MA neighborhood more energy efficient.
WMECo joins other utility providers in Massachusetts in developing the Community Mobilization Initiative (CMI Pilot) which engages a community organization to provide targeted outreach in a specific neighborhood or "Green Zone". Valuable weatherization measures delivered through the MassSave Program will result, helping renters and homeowners reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient and comfortable. In this first pilot, ADP will canvass the Ward 6 neighborhood of Springfield, MA to help enroll residents in the pilot program, connecting them to the various funding sources they can access to pay for the work on their home or apartment. Environmental Compliance Services (ECS) will provide the energy assessments as well as on-the-job weatherization training to the workers who will become employees of the ADP subsidiary, United for Hire - a worker-controlled cooperative.