Dr. Ernest J. Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy, founding Director of the MIT Energy Initiative, has been named as the first Distinguished Fellow of Emerson Collective, a social impact organization headed by Laurene Powell Jobs. He will support the mission of Emerson Elemental, a new platform dedicated to strengthening the nexus between humanity and nature.
The Emerson Collective seeks to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems hindering equity and preventing individuals from reaching their full potential. As Emerson’s first Distinguished Fellow, Dr. Moniz’s fellowship agenda will focus on such solutions for communities where jobs have been disproportionately affected by the shift to lower carbon energy and in communities where infrastructure designed for heavy industry and manufacturing has weakened economic equality. He will promote scaling economic opportunity, workforce development, and community empowerment through clean energy innovation for a low carbon future. Emerson Elemental prioritizes enabling equitable access to technology for all members of society and building better communities through sustainable development.
“We’re honored to channel Ernie’s deep experience in diplomacy, public service, private enterprise, and academia, in support of our shared mission to evolve a new ‘social compact’ for equitable technology access, and community development through innovation and workforce opportunity. Ernie is amongst the most reputable policy thought leaders and renowned scientists of our time and our forthcoming collaboration has ignited the imagination on so much positive possibility,” said Andy Karsner, Managing Partner of Emerson Collective. Karsner, a former climate negotiator and policymaker, has collaborated with Dr. Moniz over the last decade, and unveiled the Elemental practice within Emerson last year, with a mission to strengthen the relationship between humanity and nature.
The impacts, benefits, and opportunities afforded by new energy and technological advances are increasingly unevenly distributed across society, which unnecessarily exacerbates polarity across the country, Karsner explained.
“Social Compact 2.0 has to evolve commensurate with technological change. We have an obligation to improve our communities equitably for every member of society — no matter who you are, where you live, or your financial or social condition; this is what attracts and bonds us to Ernie’s new mission,” he added.
Mutually reinforcing with his agenda as part of Emerson Collective, Dr. Moniz will lead a multi-year, multi-disciplinary MIT/Harvard research effort to create regional demonstration projects which identify new pathways to a low carbon economy in the U.S. in a way that measurably promotes job growth, minimizes worker and community dislocation, and harnesses the benefits of energy innovation for regional economic development. This complements Dr. Moniz's roles as a professor of physics post-tenure and special advisor to the President of MIT, and as a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center.
Emerson Collective recognizes distinguished fellows for their extraordinary leadership in their profession; individuals who bring an exceptional body of knowledge, experience and distinct track record to their domain. Their opinions help shape influential discourse within their field, and often provide targeted policy prescriptions to Emerson program priorities. Emerson’s support of its Distinguished and Senior Fellows provides unencumbered flexibility to outstanding individuals, such as Dr. Moniz, to pursue their own intellectual, creative, and professional ambitions as a way to benefit the public good.