Climate Jobs National Resource Center Hosts 2024 Climate Jobs Summit

On January 24, labor leaders from across the country traveled to New York City to participate in Climate Jobs National Resource Center’s 2024 Climate Jobs Summit—an unprecedented gathering of hundreds of labor leaders, climate experts, philanthropists, and policymakers to discuss the ways in which the U.S. can lead on building an equitable, pro-worker clean energy economy.

Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation and incoming special climate envoy, John Podesta, gave a keynote address and participated in a panel about harnessing federal climate investments to create union jobs and advance equity. AFL-CIO President Elizabeth Shuler delivered a keynote speech highlighting labor leading on climate action and acknowledging the great work being done by our state union coalitions. Participants also heard from other labor leaders and decisionmakers in sessions organizing labor-led climate jobs coalitions, expanding inclusive workforce development, exploring thermal energy networks, overcoming siting and permitting obstacles, and more.

Labor winning pro-worker climate action has been instrumental in building on federal laws like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to unlock hundreds of billions of dollars for new projects, pass additional laws that speed the clean energy boom, and ensure that new projects are built with strong labor standards. Faced with the most pressing issues of our time, there is much work ahead. But one thing is clear from our time together: labor is leading on climate!