Labor Leading on Climate Initiative

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.

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?”

Oct 11, 2022

Scaling the US OSW Supply Chain with a Global Perspective

Labor Leading on Climate Trains Unionists from Four States as part of Climate Jobs Summit and Week of Action

Cunningham facilitates first training for rank-and-file union members on Sept. 22nd, as part of the Climate Jobs Summit’s Week of Action. Members attended the training via Zoom with in-person sessions to hear about the climate crisis, share their experiences, and learn more about ongoing campaigns in their areas.

Sep 29, 2022

Labor Leading on Climate Trains Unionists from Four States as part of Climate Jobs Summit and Week of Action

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?

Jun 13, 2022

When Data Works: Creating High-Quality Green Jobs

Research and Policy

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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.

May 19, 2022

New Report from Cornell's Labor Leading on Climate Provides Roadmap to Exceed NYC Climate Goals, Create Over 1 Million Jobs

A New Report from The Worker Institute Outlines a Climate Jobs Agenda for Maine

A new report released today by climate and labor experts at Cornell University examines the intersecting crises and then offers a series of “climate jobs” recommendations for Maine.

Mar 1, 2022

A New Report from The Worker Institute Outlines a Climate Jobs Agenda for Maine

New Report Details how Rhode Island Can Create a Clean-Energy, Worker-Centered Economy

A new report released today by climate and labor experts at Cornell University in collaboration with the Climate Jobs Rhode Island Coalition outlines a comprehensive climate jobs action plan to put Rhode Island on the path to building an equitable and resilient clean-energy economy.

Feb 2, 2022

New Report Details how Rhode Island Can Create a Clean-Energy, Worker-Centered Economy

Education and Training

Events

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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.

Jul 20, 2022

Skinner Speaks at the 2022 WSLC Constitutional Convention

2022 Climate Jobs Summit and Week of Action

Join us for the Climate Jobs Summit on September 21 and Week of Action from September 19 to 23!

Jun 16, 2022

2022 Climate Jobs Summit and Week of Action

Join us for a webinar on creating equity in the emerging clean energy workforce

The Labor Leading on Climate participates in the Worker Institute co-hosted, Equity in Focus: Building a Diverse, Inclusive Clean Energy Workforce on June 29th, 2022.

Jun 8, 2022

Join us for a webinar on creating equity in the emerging clean energy workforce

In the News

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Biden Promised “Good-Paying Union Jobs,” But It Will Take Organizing to Get Them

"People have to see how building a new clean energy economy improves their lives, expands their access to jobs, increases their pay and benefits, protects and supports existing good jobs, lowers energy bills, expands prosperity and makes our communities healthier,” said Skinner at the Climate Jobs Summit.

Sep 27, 2022

Biden Promised “Good-Paying Union Jobs,” But It Will Take Organizing to Get Them

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.

Aug 5, 2022

After Successful Bike Parking Demo, DOT is Rightfully Being Asked, ‘What Now?’

Changing Power Sources Starts With Changing Minds

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.

Jul 15, 2022

Changing Power Sources Starts With Changing Minds

Student Engagement

Our Partner

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

The Worker Institute's Labor Leading on Climate Initiative is the university partner of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center (CJNRC).

The Initiative 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.

About the Initiative

Find out more about the Initiative

The Labor Leading on Climate Initiative at the Worker Institute advances knowledge, policies, and practices to enhance the role of labor and working people in addressing the environmental and climate crises.

Labor has an important reframing of this issue: we have two crises, not one. A crisis of climate change and a crisis of inequality and we need solutions that address both. Solutions to the climate crisis cannot exacerbate the crisis of inequality by creating low-wage, low-quality jobs; Addressing climate change needs to reverse inequality by creating high-wage, family and communities sustaining union jobs. The initiative's efforts focus on building a truly sustainable society and economy.