We are guiding the nation’s transition to an equitable and resilient clean energy economy by pursuing three aims: tackling the climate crisis; creating high-quality union jobs; and building a skilled and diverse workforce.
Public Impact
NYS Passes Labor Standards on Clean Energy Work
NY is the first state in the country to pass a comprehensive suite of labor standards on clean energy work
The Race To 52%: Little Old NJ Leaps Into US Offshore Wind Industry Lead
Clean Technica
Skinner, director of the Labor Leading on Climate, and member of the Just Transition Working Group in support of the Empire State’s climate goals. Earlier this year she drew an optimistic picture of the nation’s ability to grow a vigorous wind industry workforce, especially in the offshore area.
“It’s great to get the construction work to put the turbines up, but there’s a lot of work—most studies say twice as much work—in the manufacturing and assembly,” says Lara Skinner, director of Cornell University’s Labor Leading on Climate Initiative.
A Worker-First Green New Deal with Lara Skinner | Jacobin Show
Lara Skinner, director of the Worker Institute’s Labor Leading on Climate Initiative at Cornell's ILR School, joins the show to discuss the critical role of unions in the fight for climate protection and clean energy and why the Green New Deal must begin with the labor movement.
Skinner to Speak at the Virtual Boston Labor Conference: Labor, Climate Change, and Political Power
Lara Skinner, Director of the WI Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, will discuss what a “just transition” looks like that dramatically lowers carbon emissions, prioritizes working people, and redistributes wealth at the Virtual Boston Labor Conference: Labor, Climate Change, and Political.
Skinner to Participate in "Union Labor and Building a Renewable Future," LEP Labor Forum
Lara Skinner, Director of the WI Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, will discuss how Illinois can move into a clean energy economy at the scale climate science demands, create good union jobs, and support more equitable communities at the LEP Labor Forum live-streamed on Facebook Live.
Skinner to Speak at the 2021 Time for Turbines Conference
Lara Skinner, Director of the WI Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, will discuss how to create good, long-term jobs and build equity in the offshore wind industry at the 4th annual Time for Turbines conference on Jan. 26th.
Lara Skinner, Director of the Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, will speak at the Carbon Neutral Summit on Jan. 13th. The Summit will cover climate action in NYS, prioritizing climate justice, and strategies for building decarbonization.
New York’s Building Trades Unions Are Showing the Way Forward on Green Jobs
"Climate change impacts working people. There are some major opportunities here for labor if we can get ahead of this thing. What we’ve done is a very investment-led strategy, a very jobs-led strategy,” says Lara Skinner.
Labor Leading on Climate Initiative Participates in 18th Transatlantic Social Dialogue
Lara Skinner speaks on how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities at the "Climate change, organized labor and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic – perspectives from Europe and the US" panel session.
Four Cornellians Tapped for NYS Climate Advisory Panels
Cornell Chronicle
The New York State Climate Action Council has chosen Lara Skinner, director of the Labor Leading on Climate Initiative at the ILR School, to serve on the Just Transition Working Group.
New York aims to fight climate change by creating green union jobs
The Guardian
“We brought together more than a dozen unions, and said things are not good at the national level in terms of how unions are relating to environmental organizations and the climate movement,” said Lara Skinner
The labor movement has to be central to winning a Green New Deal and reversing climate change. Recent labor victories show how we can do just that, from the ground up, and quickly.
An attack on public sector unions is an attack on democracy
The Hill
At a time when non-standard work arrangements and technology are rapidly changing the economy, and more people are engaging in unprotected “gig” work, the need for robust labor protections is stronger than ever, says Lara Skinner.
Reversing Inequality and Combatting Climate Change
The Climate Jobs Now! Summit took place on Oct. 27, 2017. The event was organized by The Worker Institute at Cornell, Climate Jobs NY and the office of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The fight against climate change: four cities leading the way in the Trump era
The Guardian
“Our carbon footprint is a lot smaller than it could be because we move around millions of people on public transport rather than car, but mass transit is often overlooked,” said Lara Skinner.
Inequality and Worker Rights: Where Do We Go From Here?
In this webcast, representatives of The Worker Institute at Cornell examine the ways in which worker rights and collective representation impact inequality and explore innovative solutions developed by the labor movement to solve this growing crisis.
In staving off climate change, social landscape adjusts
Cornell Chronicle
As the U.S. enacts agreements made at the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in December 2015 in Paris, Skinner said that New York state can lead the country to societal equity in a low-carbon economy.
Skinner and Sweeney attend CTA Congress to discuss new energy project
Lara Skinner and Sean Sweeney, directors of the Cornell Global Labor Institute, met with union leaders to discuss Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, a new project that was launched in New York during the October 2012 "Energy Emergency, Energy Transition" global trade union roundtable.
