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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.

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

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

Maine governor reaches offshore wind deal with labor unions

The Washington Post
The Climate Jobs Institute Training and Education team legislative testimony workshops help lead to legislative wins in Maine.
Maine Governor Janet Mills
Maine governor reaches offshore wind deal with labor unions

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

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

New report from Cornell’s Labor Leading on Climate team in collaboration with others provides a workers inquiry on how to decarbonize and diversify defense in the United States and the United Kingdom

Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate research team partners with other researchers at the University of Glasgow, California State University - Dominguez Hills, University of Bristol to explore, “How can we transition the defense sector towards environmental sustainability in the US and UK?”
Decarbonising and Diversifying Defence in the UK and US report cover
New report from Cornell’s Labor Leading on Climate team in collaboration with others provides a workers inquiry on how to decarbonize and diversify defense in the United States and the United Kingdom

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

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

Skinner to deliver York University's GLRC 2023 John Eleen Annual Lecture in Global Labour

Skinner, Executive Director of the Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell's ILR School, to deliver the keynote address for the 2023 John Eleen Annual Lecture in Global Labour, “Labour and the Climate Crisis: Developing a Worker- and Equity-Centered Clean Energy Economy,” for the Global Labour Research Centre at York University. 
York University Lecture Announcement Poster
Skinner to deliver York University's GLRC 2023 John Eleen Annual Lecture in Global Labour

Climate Jobs Institute Milestone Marked

The institute is a critical partner in New York’s nation-leading effort to address climate change, Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said.
Alex Colvin speaks at the formal launch of the Climate Jobs Institute.
Climate Jobs Institute Milestone Marked

In the News

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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

Denmark's lessons on the future of climate jobs

Capitol Pressroom logo
Senate Labor Committee Chair Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat, and Lara Skinner, executive director of the Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell University's ILR School, share what they learned about creating good-paying jobs in the renewable energy sector during a visit to Denmark this summer.
Denmark's lessons on the future of climate jobs

Maine governor reaches offshore wind deal with labor unions

The Washington Post
The Climate Jobs Institute Training and Education team legislative testimony workshops help lead to legislative wins in Maine.
Maine governor reaches offshore wind deal with labor unions

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.

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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
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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.