The Climate Jobs Institute 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.
Events
The Future of Offshore Wind in New York State: What Will It Take to Build a Large, Vibrant and Equitable Industry?
Offshore wind power is essential to meeting New York State’s climate goals. It is a renewable energy resource that can lower electricity costs, create many high-quality careers, and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. New York State has been a leader in offshore wind since 2019 when it set a target to build 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. In January of 2024, New York’s South Fork Wind was the first utility-scale project in the U.S. to deliver power to the grid.
Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy
Please join the Cornell ILR Climate Jobs Institute on March 1st and 2nd for a statewide conference, “Generating Equity: Pathways to Union Careers in Clean Energy.” The conference will be a generative convening with labor unions and allies, environmental justice groups, community advocates, workforce development organizations, and government officials to share best practices, build relationships, and learn from one another how we chart the way to a more diverse, equitable and unionized clean energy workforce.
Understanding Working Conditions in New York State’s Solar Industry
Join the Cornell ILR Climate Jobs Institute on Friday, April 26th, for a first look at the results of our exploratory study on the working conditions of New York State solar workers. This event will include a summary of the study’s results—drawing from over 250 survey responses from on-the-ground solar workers—followed by a panel discussion with workers and leaders in this sector.
Lara Skinner, director of the ILR Worker Institute’s Labor Leading on Climate Change, will be honored Sept. 21 by the Alliance for a Greater New York with a 2021 Movement Builders Award.
Skinner to be Honored at the 2021 Movement Builders Awards
Lara Skinner, Labor Leading on Climate Director, is an honoree of the 2021 Movement Builders Awards for her tireless advocacy for a just transition to a renewable energy economy.
The Climate Jobs Summit on September 21, 2021, will bring together newly established state Climate Jobs coalitions, labor leaders, union climate activists, environmental and environmental justice advocates, clean-energy developers, policymakers, educators, scientists, and all who want to build the clean-energy economy of tomorrow with good union jobs.
Skinner Speaks at the Canadian Labour Congress Convention
Lara Skinner, Director of the Worker Institute’s Labor Leading on Climate program, will participate in the panel session “A Climate Action Agenda” at the June 10th Canadian Labour Congress Convention
Virtual Boston Labor Conference: Labor, Climate Change, and Political hosted by the Labor Resource Center (LRC)
On Friday, March 12, the Labor Resource Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston hosted the Virtual Boston Labor Conference: Labor, Climate Change, and Political featuring the Worker Institute's Lara Skinner.
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.
Lara Skinner Speaks at Time for Turbines conference
The Worker Institute's Lara Skinner spoke at the Time for Turbines conference which took place virtually on January 26 & 27, 2021 on the “Training an Equitable Offshore Wind Workforce” panel.
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.
On Wednesday, January 13, the Worker Institute's Lara Skinner spoke at the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) and NYSERDA co-hosted a Carbon Neutral Summit focused on decarbonizing the built environment in New York State.
Lara Skinner, Director of the WI 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.
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.
2020 Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit Videos
Thank you to all the panelists, speakers and all attendees for making the Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit such a huge success. Over 1,900 people tuned in through our platform and an additional 2,500 watched on Facebook Live. Here is the full list of videos.
Climate Jobs & Just Transition Summit: Green Recovery - Building Clean Energy Industries
Lara Skinner, Executive Director, Worker Institute at Cornell University ILR School, Chairs Green Recovery - Building Clean Energy Industries panel session at the annual Climate Jobs & Just Transition Summit
Virtual Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit set for Sept. 22
Registration is open for the virtual Climate Jobs and Just Transition Summit, Sept. 22. Confirmed speakers include John Podesta, former White House chief of staff, Nobel Laureate Marilyn Brown, Bloomberg Philanthropies' Climate Lead Antha Williams and New York State Climate Policy and Finance Chair Ali Zaidi.
The Worker Institute hosts Climate Job New York's inaugural gala
On Sept. 24, during Climate Week, The Worker Institute at Cornell’s ILR School hosted Climate Jobs New York’s inaugural gala honoring Michael Bloomberg, James Slevin and Allison Ziogas at its Manhattan office.
The Worker Institute is leading a delegation of 15 New York labor leaders to Denmark this week to learn about the offshore wind industry. New York state is on the verge of building its first offshore wind project, according to Worker Institute Executive Director Lara Skinner, who is leading the delegation.
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 Climate Jobs Now! Summit, which took place at the Cornell Club and was attended widely by labor and business leaders, focused on combatting climate change and reversing inequality in states and regions across the country.
Faculty and summer fellows from ILR’s New York City office visited the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry training center in Queens July 13. The tour, led by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 3 Treasurer Michael Yee, highlighted the work that electricians do to build New York City.
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.