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SAVE THE DATE! Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy Conference

Mark your calendars for the Climate Jobs Institute’s upcoming statewide conference, Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy, in Albany, NY, on March 1-2, 2024.
Union woman worker wearing a hard hat and standing in front of solar panels
SAVE THE DATE! Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy Conference

New Climate Jobs Institute Report Sees Clean Economy on the Horizon via Apprenticeship Readiness

Cornell ILR's Climate Jobs Institute celebrated the launch of its new report, “Building an Equitable, Diverse & Unionized Clean Energy Economy: What We Can Learn from Apprenticeship Readiness” on November 30th.
Panelists at the pre-apprenticeship report launch
New Climate Jobs Institute Report Sees Clean Economy on the Horizon via Apprenticeship Readiness

Climate Jobs Institute leads educational delegation to Denmark

Cornell ILR’s Climate Jobs Institute leads educational delegation of 30 New York State legislative and labor leaders to Denmark to learn from the nation’s world-leading efforts to build a clean energy economy.
Delegation members at House of Green, an interactive showroom and visitors center operated by State of Green, in Copenhagen
Climate Jobs Institute leads educational delegation to Denmark

The Climate Jobs Institute (CJI) at Cornell University’s ILR School 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.

Through cutting-edge policy studies, deep relationships with on-the-ground partners, and innovative training and education programs, the CJI provides information that policymakers, the labor and environmental movements, industry leaders, and others need to navigate this historic transition to a zero-carbon economy.

CJI is the first U.S. academic institution focused on conducting research and developing policies for governments nationwide to support clean energy targets and create union jobs that help drive a more inclusive and equitable economy.

The Climate Jobs Institute launch event on January 25, 2023, was attended by union leaders; state, local and national officials; non-profit organizations; members of the public, and many others across the nation.

Cornell ILR Empire State Poll Shows New York State Residents, From Long Island to the North Country to Western NY, Support Strong Climate Action with High-Quality Job Creation

The Cornell ILR Empire State Poll (ESP) 2022 shows that over 68% of New York residents are concerned about the impacts of climate change and more than 70% of New Yorkers have been impacted by climate change in the past five years
CJI Empire State Poll Chart
Cornell ILR Empire State Poll Shows New York State Residents, From Long Island to the North Country to Western NY, Support Strong Climate Action with High-Quality Job Creation

Scaling the US OSW Supply Chain with a Global Perspective

Avalon Hoek Spaans, Cornell ILR outreach extension faculty member with help from their student research assistant Scott Siegel advised a group of Columbia Climate School graduate students on how to answer the question: “How can offshore wind deployment in the US be accelerated while ensuring local high-quality job creation?”
Denmark
Scaling the US OSW Supply Chain with a Global Perspective

When Data Works: Creating High-Quality Green Jobs

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?
Greenpeace Logo
When Data Works: Creating High-Quality Green Jobs

Recent Publications

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Building an Equitable, Diverse, & Unionized Clean Energy Economy: What We Can Learn from Apprenticeship Readiness

Building an Equitable, Diverse, & Unionized Clean Energy Economy: What We Can Learn from Apprenticeship Readiness Report
Building an Equitable, Diverse, & Unionized Clean Energy Economy: What We Can Learn from Apprenticeship Readiness Cover
Building an Equitable, Diverse, & Unionized Clean Energy Economy: What We Can Learn from Apprenticeship Readiness

New York at Work 2023: Tracking 2022 Inflation Reduction Act Manufacturing Investments

Designed as a resource for policymakers and the public, the ILR School’s annual New York at Work report examines jobs and other issues impacting communities and individuals across the state.
Back end of an electric car attached by to a charger stand by a large cord.
New York at Work 2023: Tracking 2022 Inflation Reduction Act Manufacturing Investments

Washington State Climate Jobs Report Released

The Evergreen State has positioned itself as a climate leader in America, but a new report from the ILR Climate Jobs Institute reveals there is much more to be done to ensure that its climate investments maximize high-quality job creation, equity and economic development.
A scenic image of Washington state
Washington State Climate Jobs Report Released

Education and Training

Educational Resources

In addition to our workshops, we have developed written materials to help you learn about climate change and clean energy, talk with coworkers about these topics, and explore different union-led campaigns to create green, union jobs.

Union construction workers
Explore our resources

Training

In the Winter of 2020, the Climate Jobs Institute launched its newly-developed “Climate Jobs and Offshore Wind (OSW)” training in partnership with Climate Jobs NY - a coalition of 2.6 million members.

We look forward to continuing this work and expanding it into other states, in the upcoming years.

Participants at an Offshore Wind Training
Discover our training

SAVE THE DATE! Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy Conference

Mark your calendars for the Climate Jobs Institute’s upcoming statewide conference, Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy, in Albany, NY, on March 1-2, 2024.
SAVE THE DATE! Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy Conference

CJI Participates in ILR's Convening of Albany Policymakers to Show Impact of State Funding

Representatives from the NY State legislative and executive branches gathered on the ILR campus Thursday morning to officially launch the New York at Work annual report.
CJI Participates in ILR's Convening of Albany Policymakers to Show Impact of State Funding

CJI Becomes a Founding Member of the Center for Applied Research on Work

The Center facilitates new partnerships within the ILR School and across Cornell to improve work, labor, and employment.
CJI Becomes a Founding Member of the Center for Applied Research on Work

In the News

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Apprenticeships Can Drive Inclusive Clean Energy Economy

Cornell Chronicle
“The Climate Jobs Institute report addresses a core aspect of tackling the dual crises of climate change and inequality: ensuring that diverse individuals and historically underserved communities are included in the shift to high-quality, clean energy careers through union jobs,” said Lara Skinner, executive director of the Climate Jobs Institute.
Apprenticeships Can Drive Inclusive Clean Energy Economy

Working With Labor Unions to Create a More Sustainable Future

Avalon Hoek Spaans, Assistant Director of Research at the Climate Jobs Insititute, shares what inspired them to seek a career focused on climate science, hoping to contribute to a more environmentally just and sustainable society.
Working With Labor Unions to Create a More Sustainable Future

Climate Jobs Institute releases Washington state report

Cornell Chronicle
The Climate Jobs Institute releases, "Washington Climate Jobs Roadmap: A Worker-Centered Approach to a Clean Energy Future," a culmination of a two-year process that included interviews with more than 85 labor, environmental and industry leaders and policymakers, educational convenings, and qualitative and quantitative research.
Climate Jobs Institute releases Washington state report

Student Engagement

Student Research Fellowships

Experience CJI @ Cornell ILR

The Climate Jobs Institute Research Fellows will research a variety of topics related to climate change, and contribute to the creation of multi-state “climate jobs” policy papers and Canva presentations that address topics including job and training quality standards in energy efficiency and renewable energy work and exploring innovative financing models for climate mitigation activities. 

Learn more about our research fellowships
Cornell campus
Student Testimonials

Our Partner

Watch Lara Skinner discuss her work which helped spark the formation of Climate Jobs New York (CJNY).

Climate Jobs Resource Center Logo

The Climate Jobs Institute is the university partner of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center (CJNRC).

The Institute provides research, education and training programs to unions on climate change and clean energy across multiple U.S. states.

As in New York, this work will help unions proactively and positively engage in climate change and clean energy work and forge a stronger link in the public discourse between the crises of inequality and climate change. 

 

Hear from labor leaders, and members, some of whom work on the frontlines of climate change, about the urgency to take on climate change by building a new renewable energy industry powered by good, family-sustaining union jobs.

2022 Climate Jobs Summit

From Ambition to Action

The Climate Jobs Summit on September 21 and the accompanying Week of Action brought together climate jobs coalitions, labor leaders, union climate activists, environmental advocates, policymakers, scientists, and allies in our shared mission to build an equitable renewable energy economy powered by good union jobs.

WATCH NOW

The 2021 Climate Jobs Summit

The Second Annual Virtual Climate Jobs Summit took place on September 21, 2021, during Climate Week NYC. The Summit convened climate jobs coalitions, labor leaders, union climate activists, environmental and environmental justice advocates, clean-energy developers, policymakers, scientists, and allies in our shared mission to build an equitable renewable energy economy powered by good union jobs. Throughout the Summit, emphasis was made on the urgency of taking action to lift up America’s working families through bold climate investments that create millions of family-sustaining union careers.

Several workers in clean energy
Watch Livestream on Facebook

The 2020 Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit

The 2020 Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit brought together labor leaders, union climate activists, environmental and environmental justice advocates, clean-energy developers, policymakers, and scientists to discuss how to build the clean-energy economy of tomorrow with strong union jobs.

Workers building clean energy
2020 Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit Videos

The Climate Jobs Institute is guiding New York and the nation’s transition to a strong, equitable, and resilient clean energy economy that tackles the climate crisis, creates high-quality jobs, confronts race and gender inequality, and builds a diverse and inclusive workforce. We help policy makers and labor, environmental and industry leaders navigate this historic transition through cutting-edge applied research, deep relationships with on-the-ground partners, and innovative training and education programs.