Hosted by Climate Jobs National Resource Center and Cornell University’s Climate Jobs Institute, the fifth Climate Jobs Summit will convene national and state labor leaders from across the country with allies from climate advocacy, industry, government, and philanthropy to advance a bold climate action agenda that delivers for workers and their families.
Event Details
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
7:30am-8:30am: Breakfast and Registration
9:00am-4:00pm: Program (Lunch Included)
4:30pm-7:30pm: Reception
New York Marriott Downtown, 85 West Street at Albany St New York, NY 10006
Program
Faced with rising costs, an affordability crisis, and surging energy demand, the old playbook on climate simply won’t cut it. To meet the moment, we need a new agenda—one that links climate action directly to affordability and high-quality union jobs so people feel the benefits in their bills, their paychecks, and their communities. At the Climate Jobs Summit, we will chart a bold, politically resonant vision for a climate action agenda that works for working families and explore the challenges, opportunities, and strategies that can turn ambition into action and deliver real, durable results.
The Summit program will include panels and discussions about some of the most pressing clean energy and climate issues, including opportunities for city and state leadership, energy affordability policies, transmission and the grid, clean energy development, data centers, defending and expanding labor standards, and more.
The Summit is invite-only. If you have been invited to the Summit, you can click here to register.
Questions
For questions or more information, please contact summit@cjnrc.org
Program
Featured discussions include:
- A Climate Action Agenda for Working Families: States Leading the Way on Affordability, Climate, and Jobs
As the nation faces an energy and affordability crisis, unions and climate jobs coalitions are charting a bold vision to deliver real results for working families: reliable, secure, and clean energy and an affordable economy powered by union jobs. Hear from leaders building momentum behind a Climate Action Agenda for Working Families. - From Permits to Power: Labor’s Role in the Race to Site, Permit, and Build Clean Energy
From local opposition to permitting hurdles, clean energy projects often face significant barriers. Unions can play a central role in getting projects sited, permitted, and built at the speed the moment demands—while ensuring strong labor standards that create high-quality jobs and boost community support. - Powering Neighborhoods: New Approaches to Distributed Energy and Building Decarbonization
Buildings are one of the largest sources of emissions and one of the thorniest sectors when it comes to decarbonization. Explore how thermal energy networks, state and utility-led distributed energy models, and other neighborhood-scale strategies can rapidly accelerate building decarbonization while creating good union jobs and affordability. - Building a 21st Century Grid
Rising energy demand, a surge of clean energy projects, and an aging transmission system are pushing the U.S. grid to its limits. Hear from experts about challenges and opportunities to modernizing and expanding transmission infrastructure and building a grid capable of delivering clean, reliable, and affordable power. - After the Inflation Reduction Act, What’s Next for Clean Energy Investments?
With federal support for clean energy scaled back or phased out, cities and states are navigating a post-Inflation Reduction Act energy landscape. We’ll examine opportunities and obstacles to sustaining clean energy investment, securing strong labor standards, and building the next wave of clean energy. - The Data Center Boom: Jobs, Rates, and the Grid
As data centers reshape the American energy landscape, what opportunities and challenges does this boom create to spur clean energy deployment while delivering real public benefits and good union jobs? - Stronger Together: The Case for Multi-State Climate Jobs Action
With a full-out federal assault on clean energy and climate action, the only viable arena for climate action is now in the states. How can states work together to shape the clean energy economy, drive affordability, create union jobs, and raise the bar for climate action nationwide? - The Next Era of Public Utilities and Utility Regulation
Utilities and regulators are at a crossroads as rising energy demand, aging infrastructure, and the clean energy transition strain existing models. Explore how the next era of utility regulation can deliver on climate and jobs to ensure affordability and reliability in a rapidly changing energy system.