Our Plan: Labor Leading on Climate

Over the next three years, CJNRC will be building Climate Jobs organizations in 11 additional states that have strong political leadership, a strong labor presence, and elected officials who are committed to making progress on climate change and reducing inequality. Climate Jobs coalitions organize and mobilize workers to fight for this kind of change, now. State-based structure means that each coalition develops proposals and action plans specific to conditions in the state.

The CJNRC model for change looks to the states because they are the entities that make critical decisions regarding energy production and policy. States can make choices now that would quickly improve the energy landscape. When states commit to buying clean energy, for instance, they incentivize private investment in the construction of utility-scale wind and solar energy. Clean energy jobs bring private dollars to a public good, which helps build the large-scale renewable energy sources states urgently needed to reduce the emissions of climate-altering carbon dioxide.

By focusing on the construction of clean energy sources as a way to combat the climate crisis, Climate Jobs coalitions offer a compelling new approach to creating an equitable and clean economy. Building a clean energy economy is an opportunity for labor to lead in climate by creating high-quality family-sustaining jobs that spur economic development while reducing the dangerous emissions that are causing an increase in climate disasters.