The Climate Jobs Institute is guiding the nation’s transition to a strong, equitable, and resilient clean energy economy by pursuing three aims: to tackle the climate crisis; to create high-quality jobs; and to build a diverse, inclusive workforce.
Media Mentions
After Successful Bike Parking Demo, DOT is Rightfully Being Asked, ‘What Now?’
A recent study by Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate recommends converting 5 percent of street parking spaces into 150,000 sheltered bike parking spaces by 2025.
Skinner Speaks at the 2022 WSLC Constitutional Convention
“There is great potential to grow a pro-union climate plan in Washington that addresses the climate crisis at scale and grows and builds the labor movement,” said Lara Skinner, Director of the Labor Leading on Climate program at Cornell.
Melanie La Rosa discusses the relevance of the Climate for Change: A Complete Climate Jobs Roadmap for New York City report as an opportunity "to a climate labor force [that] could spur thousands of new jobs,” in her recent OpEd.
Anita Raman, Cornell's Research and Policy Development Associate, explores the big questions: How can we maximize emissions reductions to create the greenest jobs? How do we make sure these are high-quality jobs? How can we use data to achieve these outcomes?
LLC participates in UALE’s first-ever Northeast Regional Gathering
Labor Leading on Climate team’s Zach Cunningham, the regional representative to UALE’s Board, led efforts to organize the event and Director, Lara Skinner, participates in panel discussion.
Labor unions' climate agenda for City Hall includes cutting school emissions, adding bike lanes
“We are really thinking about how do we take on climate change at scale and the pace that science demands,” said Lara Skinner, Director of Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate program.
New Report from Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate Provides Roadmap to Exceed NYC Climate Goals, Create Over 1 Million Jobs
A new report released today by Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate in collaboration with the Climate Jobs NY coalition outlines a comprehensive climate jobs action plan for NYC to fight the climate crisis, make NYC safer and address racial and economic inequity by investing in a pro-worker renewable energy transition.
LLC facilitates “Carbon Free & Healthy Schools” training for union members in NYC
Zach Cunningham, Associate for the Worker Institute, and Tory Kaso, Campaign Director for Climate Jobs NY, helped NYC union members learn more about the Carbon Free & Healthy Schools campaign
Cornell extension faculty member awarded 2022 Public Voices on the Climate Crisis Fellowship
Anita Raman, LLC's Research and Policy Development Associate, is one of twenty national leaders selected to be a 2022 Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis. This program is administered by the Yale Program on Climate Communication and the OpEd Project national Public Voices initiative.
Cunningham facilitates Offshore Wind Training for IUOE Local 30
Zach Cunningham, Extension Associate for the Worker Institute and Mariah Dignan, of Climate Jobs NY deliver a riveting presentation on Climate Jobs and Offshore Wind (OSW) to IUOE Local 30
Skinner appears on Portland’s Maine WMPG Radio, Community Voices for Change, to discuss how Maine is working to build a new renewable energy economy with good union jobs.
Labor Unions Form New Group to Combat Climate Change in Maine
Labor unions in Maine say they have a lot of ideas on how the state can combat climate change and create clean energy jobs. The unions partnered with Cornell University's Labor Leading on Climate to study climate change and have set 11 goals for creating clean-energy jobs in Maine.
NYC unions rally behind ambitious new climate action plans
AM NY
Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate releases report in conjunction with the Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) outlining recommendations to Mayor Eric Adams’ administration as well as examining the impact of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on NYC workers and schools.
New Report Outlines Equitable Climate Action Plan for Rhode Island
Climate Jobs Rhode Island and Cornell University recently released a report outlining a climate jobs action plan to put Rhode Island on the path to meeting the state’s climate targets and building an equitable renewable energy economy.
Labor and environmental coalition calls for R.I. to transition to a clean energy economy
Boston Globe
A report by Cornell University researchers details crises involving climate change, the pandemic, and inequality, recommends major public projects involving wind energy, schools, and electrical grid
Unlocking the Transition: Politicians tout renewable energy jobs for ex-fossil fuel workers, but it's not so simple
Skinner, Labor Leading on Climate Director, says “there's not going to be a just transition because the pay and health and retirement benefits are not there.”
Skinner Participates at INET’s Just Transition and the Transition to Justice Conference
Lara Skinner, Director of the Worker Institute’s Labor Leading on Climate, participated in INET’s panel session, Retaking the Commons: What Will It Take?
How the US labor movement is getting to grips with the climate crisis
The Guardian
In Texas and West Virginia, unions are having tough conversations about the future of fossil fuels. Lara Skinner explains that the way forward includes finding new ways to support workers transitioning from oil and coal to cleaner jobs.
Skinner to be Honored at the 2021 Movement Builders Awards
Lara Skinner, Labor Leading on Climate Director, is an honoree of the 2021 Movement Builders Awards for her tireless advocacy for a just transition to a renewable energy economy.
Zach Cunningham and local partners deliver training for Local 338 (RWDSU)
Cunningham of the Worker Institute, in conjunction with Climate Jobs NY, delivers virtual training for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 338.
'Everyone Wants a Good Job': The Texas Unions Fighting for a Green New Deal
At the Texas AFL-CIO’s annual convention on July 27th, 121 unions voted in favor of a resolution for a green jobs plan. The proposal was written by the Texas Climate Jobs Project, a project of the state labor federation and Cornell University’s Worker Institute in consultation with 27 unions statewide.
The Climate Jobs Summit on September 21, 2021, will bring together newly established state Climate Jobs coalitions, labor leaders, union climate activists, environmental and environmental justice advocates, clean-energy developers, policymakers, educators, scientists, and all who want to build the clean-energy economy of tomorrow with good union jobs.
Why Texas fossil fuel unions signed onto a climate plan
Grist
Skinner, Labor Leading on Climate Director, says “there’s been a real focus on the carbon impact of proposals and not enough emphasis on what type of jobs are these activities going to create, what are the quality of these jobs, are they actually going to help reverse inequality.”
The UMWA local in Alabama has been on a five-month strike against Warrior Met Coal. Zach Cunningham, from the Worker Institute’s Labor Leading on Climate, proposes focusing on making the transition to renewable-energy sources one that provides good-paying jobs, rather than a narrative of “good jobs versus the environment.”
Energy transition could create 1.1 million jobs in Texas, report says
Lara Skinner, Director of Cornell’s Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, provided insight into the number of jobs that could be created in various aspects of growing the renewable energy and climate tech industries in Texas.
Texas Unions Launch Major Effort to Combat Climate Change, Tackle Inequality in US Energy Capital
A new report by climate and labor experts at Cornell University, Northeastern University, and Occidental College, in consultation with 27 Texas labor unions, accompanied the launch and outlays out a comprehensive climate jobs action plan to put Texas on the path to building an equitable clean-energy economy.
