MARCH 9, 2022 | 9:00 AM TO 10:00 AM EST
The transition to net-zero emissions requires a shift to battery-powered vehicles. Leading automotive manufacturers are making large investments in building electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing capacity and new entrants are coming to the public market at extraordinary valuations.
The rapid growth of the EV sector has been accompanied, however, by widespread concerns regarding the potential for negative social and environmental impacts that present risks to investors. An EV transition that fosters de-unionization, environmental injustice, human rights abuses, and ecosystem degradation risks to deepen racial and income inequalities and create public opposition that could derail efforts to combat climate change.
MODERATOR:
Michael Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer
PANELISTS:
Cindy Estrada, Vice President, United Auto Workers
Ramón Cruz, President, Sierra Club
Richard Kent, Researcher/Advisor, Human Rights and Energy Transition, Amnesty International Secretariat
Union Auto Worker
Non-Union Worker