FAQs

It's a County-led effort to grow industries that protect the environment, reduce climate change impacts, and create good paying jobs that support families and communities across the San Diego region. The goal is to help attract business to be headquartered here to contribute to a greater regional economy, climate action, and the just transition. 

The just transition ensures the shift to a green, low-carbon economy is fair and inclusive, meaning workers, communities, and vulnerable populations aren't left behind by climate action, but instead benefit from new opportunities, decent jobs, and social protection, while addressing past environmental harms and promoting shared prosperity. The County's effort will be centered on those workers most impacted by climate change, and populations from systemically impacted communities, people with disabilities, and veterans of Armed Services.

High road jobs are jobs with family-supporting wages and benefits; high standards for health and safety; long-term career pathways; worker protections, including the right to organize; and access to good jobs for local workers with training that supports advancement. These jobs are designed to support workers, families, and community stability in the just transition toward a green economy. 

Job seekers, students, workers, small and regional businesses, community organizations, and employers can all benefit through training, new career pathways or growing the growing local green economy. 

The Green Industries and High Roads Jobs plan intends to create access to training and good jobs for workers who have historically faced barriers to economic opportunity, while ensuring local benefits from growing green industries. This effort is centered on those workers most impacted by climate change, and populations from systemically impacted communities, people with disabilities, and veterans of Armed Services.

This Plan will identify 5-7 green sectors that are best matched to our realities here in the region, balancing decarbonization priorities and economic opportunities. 

Through engagement with practitioners, workers, and subject matter experts, we are researching priorities, assets, and gaps to inform future green industries in the San Diego region. The initial work is exploring possibilities within energy supply, buildings, transportation, agriculture and working lands, and blue technology. Some of the key considerations for the industries that are selected include maximizing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing long term job potential, and increasing job access and opportunity.

The plan is an initiative under the Regional Decarbonization Framework, which promotes public and private interests working together to move the San Diego region to achieve zero carbon emissions no later than 2045. Economic development and impactful jobs are key elements for decarbonization strategies to be successful. This plan builds off one of the RDF foundational publications, the Workforce Development Study: Putting San Diego County on the High Road: Climate Workforce Recommendations for 2030 and 2050, as well as the County's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

Next steps are to look for partners and funding to advance and support implementation. Subscribe to this Engage page and stay informed on updates.