What Alliance Governors Are Saying About the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative | U.S. Climate Alliance | The U.S. Climate Alliance is today highlighting reactions from across its coalition to the launch of the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative at Climate Week NYC 2024.

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2024 Climate Week Just Transition & Equity Press Release

What Alliance Members Are Saying About the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative

“These are economy-wide jobs, not just in clean energy but building trades, land management, clean technology and more. Climate Alliance states have a track record of meeting our ambitious goals and that momentum continues today.”
September 27, 2024

NEW YORK, NYEarlier this week at Climate Week NYC, the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population, launched the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative. 

 

The new Initiative will grow career pathways in climate and clean energy fields, strengthen workforce diversity, and jointly train 1 million new registered apprentices by 2035 across the Alliance’s states and territories. 

 

Here’s what the Alliance’s members are saying about this announcement: 

What Our Governors Are Saying
New York Governor Kathy Hochul

“In New York, we’re showing how climate action and economic growth go hand-in-hand. As a co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, I’m proud to be collaborating with states, industry leaders, labor unions, higher education and community organizations to create the jobs of the future required to build a clean, equitable, and resilient economy. A skilled and well-prepared workforce will drive innovation, create new businesses, and ensure a sustainable, resilient future for our country.” 

 

Read more via the Office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul. 

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham 

“Communities that have been devastated by natural disasters are wisely demanding that we sustainably manage the forests, build bridges that withstand flooding, and harden our telecommunications infrastructure against the threat of fire. In short, they are demanding climate-ready infrastructure. New Mexico is ready to get to work on implementation of the U.S. Climate Alliance Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative, and this Executive Order provides the blueprint for doing so.” 

 

Read more via the Office of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

Washington Governor Jay Inslee 

“We’re aligning our ambitious climate policies with workforce development to have 1 million more workers poised to take these good-paying, union jobs that serve our communities and strengthen our economies. These are economy-wide jobs, not just in clean energy but building trades, land management, clean technology and more. Climate Alliance states have a track record of meeting our ambitious goals and that momentum continues today.” 

 

Read more via the Office of Washington Governor Jay Inslee. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom 

“California couldn’t be more proud to help launch @USClimate’s Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative. Together with 24 governors from both parties, we will help create more climate and clean energy jobs — and provide access to skills and training programs to work in these fields.” 

 

Read more via @CAgovernor on Twitter. 

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker 

“I’m honored to work alongside my fellow governors as we move toward a greener future — while leaving no one behind. Illinois’ skilled workforce will help power our economic growth as they protect our environment.” 

 

Read more via @GovPritzker on Twitter. 

Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future 

“As part of this Alliance, Maine will join Massachusetts in leading the Clean Buildings and Industry area, focused on careers in engineering, design, construction, retrofitting, maintenance, and operation of buildings and industrial processes that are clean, energy-efficient, healthy, and resilient.” 

 

Read more via the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future on LinkedIn. 

Maryland Department of the Environment 

“Climate action means jobs in Maryland! Today, we are excited to announce the launch the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative with @USClimate governors.” 

 

Read more via @MDEnvironment on Twitter. 

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey

“The transition to clean energy will create millions of good-paying jobs across the country. We need to grow the workforce that will meet this moment. Massachusetts is a proud climate and clean energy leader, and through the U.S. Climate Alliance, we are teaming up with other leading states to build an equitable workforce that advances climate action nationwide. This initiative reflects the power of collective action, and together, we are creating new opportunities for workers and setting the stage for a more sustainable future.”  

 

Read more news from the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. 

 

Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

“Massachusetts is excited to help lead the effort to grow our clean buildings workforce and foster innovation for workers making our buildings more resilient, energy efficient, and electrified,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The heroes of the clean energy transition will be the HVAC workers, builders, and electricians who will deliver a healthier future for us all.”  

 

Read more news from the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. 

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) 

“Climate action means jobs in Michigan. The Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative will grow climate and clean energy career pathways + jointly train 1M new registered apprentices across the Alliance.” 

 

Read more via @MichiganEGLE on Twitter. 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy

“To continue growing our green economy here in the Garden State, we need to support and expand our workforce. Alongside my fellow @USClimate Alliance governors, we are proud to launch the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative as part of #ClimateWeekNYC.” 
 

Read more via @GovMurphy on Twitter 

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers 

“Apprenticeship as we know it today started right here in Wisconsin over a century ago, and we are proud to continue leading the way as we work to build a workforce and economy that doesn’t treat protecting our environment or creating good-paying jobs and a strong economy as goals that are mutually exclusive—in Wisconsin, we’re doing both. Our work to build a 21st-century workforce and economy is about preparing Wisconsin for a strong future and doing everything we can to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of workers to meet the demands of the 21st Century. And Wisconsin is ready for the challenge.”  

 

Read more via WisPolitics 

About the Alliance

Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the previous administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, at least 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.

 

The Alliance’s states and territories continue to demonstrate that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth, job creation, and better public health. While reducing emissions by 18% between 2005 and 2021, Alliance members grew their collective GDP by nearly 30%. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country.

 

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