McKenna Dunbar, Building Electrification Lead at Sierra Club|Promoting Environmental Justice with Gen Z Ep.95

The communities that contribute the least to climate change are impacted by it the most. And that’s a disheartening thing for Gen Zers to discover.

But the antidote to anxiety is action. 

So, what can young people do to advocate for environmental justice? How can we all work together for an equitable transition to the net-zero carbon economy?

McKenna Dunbar serves as Building Electrification Lead and Community and Engagement Coordinator at Sierra Club. She is also Founder of the Environmental Justice Initiative and CEO of MOCOKONO, a company working to disrupt ESG markets and build an equitable energy system for all.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, McKenna joins Tim to describe the eco-anxiety that inspired her work in renewable energy and discuss her role in the Sierra Club’s Building Electrification Program.

McKenna explains why she founded the environmental advocacy-based nonprofit Ecological Justice Initiative and explores how we might address the mega-landfills located in marginalized communities.

Listen in for McKenna’s call-to-action for corporate leaders and learn how young people can get involved in advancing the clean energy transition!

Key Takeaways

How learning about environmental racism inspired McKenna’s work in renewable energy

How promoting environmental education and connecting with others in the climate change movement gives McKenna hope for the future

McKenna’s role in the Sierra Club’s Building Electrification Program

Why McKenna sees building electrification as the answer to the energy crisis we face

What success looks like for McKenna’s campaign with the Sierra Club

Why McKenna founded the environmental advocacy-based nonprofit Ecological Justice Initiative

How McKenna thinks about addressing the mega-landfills located in marginalized communities

MOCOKONO’s goals to disrupt outdated forms of CSR in ESG markets

McKenna’s call for corporate leaders to reformulate their business plans around environmental justice frameworks and the needs of the communities they serve

The importance of involving Gen Z in the conversation re: the clean energy transition and how young people can get involved in climate change mitigation right now

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