5 Million

Gree n Jobs
How We Can Address Climate Change
and Strengthen the Economy
by Putting Americans to Work

SKY
1 CLIMATE. 1 FUTURE. 1 CHANCE.

In Collaboration With

1sky.org
1
Global warming is one of the greatest challenges our nation and world
has ever faced. The climate crisis is not a threat in the distant future—
it’s happening now. Worldwide greenhouse gas emissions are increas-
ing so quickly, scientists say, that our society’s response in the next few
years will determine our future.

Global warming represents not just an environmental crisis
but an economic crisis as well. A recent report estimates
that doing nothing to mitigate climate change will cost the
U.S. economy more than 3.6% of GDP, or $3.8 trillion.1 Paul
Volcker, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve under
President Reagan, has flatly stated that “if [nothing is done,]
you can be sure that the economy will go down the drain in
the next thirty years.”2
Yet within this crisis lies a tremendous opportunity. The
solutions to global warming are not just a guard against
future economic ruin; they are also the solutions to our
current economic stagnation and unemployment. Ameri-
can businesses, communities and households will grow and
prosper if our nation pivots to a clean energy economy.
Public and private investment in wind, solar, geothermal
energy and in energy efficient buildings, automobiles, and
appliances can catalyze new businesses and jobs while solv-
ing the climate change problem. Building a newer, smarter
and more equitable 21st century economy is the critical
next step to keeping our country strong in the face of eco-
nomic insecurity.
The American people are ready for change, but it will
require bold political leadership to kick our economy into
high gear. 1Sky and our thousands of allied organizations
Green-Collar Job:
n.
-track job that
a well-paid, career
ly to preserving or
contributes direct
l quality.
3
g en vi ro nm en ta
enhancin
and individuals nationwide are rallying around a call for 5
million new green jobs because we understand that the cli-
mate challenge isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about
creating opportunities. Now is the time to re-build our
nation’s economy, making it stronger and more inclusive
than ever before.
The 1Sky Solutions are grounded in
scientific necessity—they represent
what is needed to dramatically reduce
carbon emissions and avoid the impend-
ing climate crisis. They offer enormous
economic promise, with a focus on cre-
ating jobs, opportunity and stronger
communities through investments in
clean energy and conservation.
• Create 5 million new green jobs and
pathways out of poverty focused on
climate solutions like energy efficiency.
• Reduce global warming pollution at
least 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and
at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.4
• Impose a moratorium on new coal
plants and end our dependence on
oil through strong standards and
incentives for energy efficiency and
renewable energy.

2
 Green-collar jobs are real and are already being created
across America. In Texas, the wind industry is creating
thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of new income for
landowners and communities.5 In California, the new Mil-
JOBS PER MEGAWATT
lion Solar Roofs program6 has created unprecedented demand
for skilled workers installing millions of cost-cutting solar
panels across the state. As of August 2008, 97 new geothermal
power projects were under development in 13 states, produc-
ing more than 7,000 permanent full-time jobs.7 Positions in
the green economy run the gamut from entry level to highly
skilled and everything in between,8 with opportunities for
advancement as high-growth industries continue to expand.
Communities everywhere are recognizing that green jobs
can fight poverty, pollution, and global warming at the same
time. Most green jobs are existing occupations that are being
upgraded and repurposed to build a green economy. And
most green-collar jobs are community-based, with the poten-
tial to revitalize specific regions and neighborhoods, sharing
new opportunities equitably.9 Since green-collar jobs focus on
transforming the immediate natural and built environment,
they are harder—and in many cases impossible—to move
offshore. No one will ship a building from Detroit to be retro-
fitted in China. And with transportation costs skyrocketing,
manufacturers increasingly rely on domestic production of
component parts for renewable energy industries.
Green-Collar Jobs Stabilize the Economy
Coal, nuclear, and fossil fuel production are capital-
rather than labor-intensive. Conversely, a program to
retrofit offices, manufacturing plants, and homes with
energy efficient technologies will create demand for weld-
ers, electricians, carpenters, and thousands of others who
produce the energy-saving high-efficiency results we need.
If we allow the dirty economy to prevail, we will continue
to rely on increasingly expensive fossil fuels. Building a
vast web of mass transit and converting our auto plants to
produce plug-in hybrid vehicles is a process that will rely
on a steady stream of skilled American workers—not on
fossil fuels.
As our economy grows, we have some important decisions
to make. Replacing old coal plants with more coal plants cre-
ates no new opportunities.10 However, if we level the playing
field for renewable energy and energy efficiency by capping
global warming pollution and creating the right incentives,
high-growth clean technologies will replace our aging fossil
JOBS PER MEGAWATT OF
ELECTRICITY IN SELECTED INDUSTRIES
12
10
High End
8
Low End
6
4
2
0
Solar Geo- Biomass Wind Landfill Natural Coal Nuclear
PV thermal Gas Gas
POWER SOURCE
Job estimates are attributable to the manufacturing, installation, and operations of
each power source. Variance between high and low end estimates are a  function of
deployment scale, and whether or not equipment is manufactured domestically.
Sources: Renewable Energy Policy Project, Renewable Energy and Appropriate Laboratories.
Nuclear Energy Institute, and The State of California.
fuel based infrastructure, creating new jobs and dramatically
reducing pollution at the same time. For example, a range
of studies show conclusively that renewable energy “gener-
ates more jobs per megawatt of power installed, per unit of
energy produced, and per dollar of investment,” than fossil
fuel energy11 (see graph).
5 Million New Jobs: A Reality If We Act Boldly
Creating 5 million new green jobs in the US is not a pipe-
dream. It is a conservative estimate of what we can do with
political commitment to a smart, clean energy economy.
One recent report shows that the U.S. can create two mil-
lion jobs over two years by investing $100 billion in a green
economic recovery plan. The report also shows that this
investment would create four times more jobs than spend-
ing the same amount of money within the oil industry.12
Public investment and complementary policies will each
result in job creation, and ensure job retention.13 In the
past few years the nearly-expired Production Tax Credit
and Investment Tax Credit for wind and solar have sparked
huge growth in the renewable energy sector. Over 100,000
jobs could have potentially disappeared if Congress hadn’t
renewed the tax credits in October 2008. In Ohio specifi-
cally, more than 50% of the current green jobs are in the
manufacturing sector and the state boasts many more
middle-skilled manufacturing workers ready to take on new
3
positions as the clean technology sector develops.14
As the graph to the right indicates, “moderate” political
action, such as a 15% renewable portfolio standard an other
incremental incentives, gives us a few more new jobs, but
“bold” political action (like the 1Sky solutions) creates almost
5 times as many new jobs.15 To solve the climate crisis, and to
realize our economy’s full potential, we’ll need more than
half measures.
Importantly, the bulk of clean energy investments will
benefit both rural and urban America. A recent study by the
University of Tennessee16 predicted that 5.1 million jobs could
be created in rural areas alone by 2030 if bold measures were
taken to incentivize the next generation of low-carbon fuels17
and electricity production.
Green Jobs Are Here to Stay
The renewable energy sector alone, including wind, solar,
and geothermal, already employs half a million people
nationwide. The energy efficiency sector spans several
industries including automobiles, buildings, appliances,
and power plants.
Wind Turbine Production in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania:25
• Since January 2005, the former Rust Belt town of Ebens-
burg has been host to a new wind turbine factory.
• $175 million dollars of private investment in the factory
has created 1,160 new union jobs.
• Local workforce and economic development agencies, in
partnership with labor unions, provided an incoming wind
energy company with a detailed database of the skills of local
dislocated workers to prove that the region had the skills to
staff their plants.
• Gov. Ed Rendell’s forward-thinking state-level policies, such
as a statewide 18% renewable portfolio standard, have ensured
the healthy development of the clean energy market and
linked its development to jobs, providing new opportunities.
• Another new wind plant is currently being planned on the
site of a nearby abandoned US Steel Co. factory.
Energy Efficiency in Vermont:
• Vermont residents voted to institute a volumetric sur-
charge on all consumers’ electrical bills, leading to statewide
investments of over $30 million per year in energy efficiency
4
GREEN JOB CREATION IN OHIO
2.5
Base Case
GREEN JOBS (MILLIONS)
2.0 Moderate Political Action
Bold Political Action
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
2006 2030
Data accounts for direct and indirect job creation. Bold political action is
comparable to the 1Sky Solutions.
Source: American Solar Energy Society, 2008.
programs aiming to reduce dependence on fossil fuel con-
sumption and electricity use.
• In five years, over 40,000 Vermonters, predominantly
low-income families, small businesses, and public schools,
were served by the efficiency program, which provided
heating and cooling solutions, building retrofits, and appli-
ance upgrades.
• Cumulative lifetime savings of the program are over $313
million, substantially reducing the cost of living and doing
business in Vermont.
Green Pathways Out of Poverty in Los Angeles, California:26
• In 2006, over 500 residents rallied together in a church in
South LA to applaud mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as he signed
the “Apollo Challenge,” committing to work with community
groups, labor organizations, and others to shape green work-
force and economic development strategies.
• The groups came together to create a $1.5 million job-train-
ing program that targets both incumbent workers and youth
with barriers to employment, such as lack of job skills and
education, language and cultural barriers, or history in the
juvenile and criminal justice system.
• The program includes academic coursework and rotations
through hard-skill trainings focused on clean energy and
energy efficiency.
• Graduates are connected to union apprenticeships, higher
education, and career pathways with emerging energy
industries.
 2 Million green jobs in the next 2 years
* *
*
* **
* *
*
*
*
Green job creation depicted here is contingent on the
$100 billion public investment program proposed in
Green Recovery, September 2008. These investments are
consistent with the 1Sky Solutions.
Investments in building efficiency, on the other hand,
will drive more green job opportunities in urban areas. A
2007 McKinsey & Company report found that enough oppor-
tunities for energy efficiency investments are available
to boost energy productivity the equivalent of 64 million
barrels of oil per day, or almost 150 percent of the entire
U.S. energy consumption today, all without compromising
economic growth.18 California for example has stepped up
its green building leadership to include statewide green
building standards that will save consumers $23 billion
by 2013,19 creating new opportunities for union-friendly20
green career pathways in the process.
Automobile efficiency presents another opportunity for
new jobs and smart investments. According to the Union of
Concerned Scientists, a modest increase in average fuel econ-
omy to 35 miles per gallon would result in annual savings of
$37 billion per year by 2020, creating 241,000 new jobs, and
reducing our oil imports by 1.6 million barrels per day—
more than we currently import from Saudi Arabia.21
GREEN JOBS
4,000–15,000
15,000–30,000
30,000–45,000
*
45,000–85,000
85,000–250,000
* * *
* Green shading is a reflection
of job density (jobs/popULATION).
* denotes state-specific data
based on extrapolations from
the authors’ original findings
Source: Green Recovery. Center for American Progress, and the Political Economy Research
Institute, University of Massachusetts-Amherst. September 2008.
Green Jobs: Best Bang for the Buck
The best way to stimulate the economy is to invest in effi-
ciency and renewables. Studies show that with the right
incentives, clean energy industries will attract private capi-
tal and produce more jobs per dollar invested than status quo
energy like nuclear power or coal.22
Smart investments will create good jobs, reduce our
dependence on oil, lower the cost of living and doing busi-
ness, stimulate our economy, and avert catastrophic climate
change. According to recent energy efficiency studies,23 a
public energy efficiency investment of $21.6 billion would:
• replace 22.3 conventional 500 megawatt coal plants;
• reduce annual CO2 emissions by 86.7 million metric tons
(about 1/3 of the annual emissions reductions called for by
the IPCC by 2020);24
• save 204 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 10.7 million
barrels of oil each year;
• save consumers $8.46 billion in energy bills annually; and
create 216,000 permanent new jobs
5
The Green Job Transition
If we hope to avert catastrophic consequences from global
warming and stimulate the creation millions of new jobs, our
nation must dramatically reduce our dependence on oil and
coal and shift towards renewable energy as soon as possible.
Vulnerable communities, especially those that are currently
dependent on coal, gas and oil for economic security, need
transitional assistance and access to new opportunities.27
On the whole, studies show that we have more than enough
green jobs to offset inevitable job losses in dirty industries
such as coal, but geographically concentrated dislocations
will be of serious concern. In some cases, older workers will
need buy-out options and/or early retirement offers that
include long-term health benefits and pensions. Younger
workers will need income and health insurance support and
retraining necessary for new career-track jobs.
“By pushing more renewable energy—something
that will fight global warming and protect the envi-
ronment--Minneapolis and St. Paul can reinvigorate
the manufacturing base and create thousands of
jobs here. Our sweat and brains will get us out of
the mess we’re in today.”
—Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, 11/27/07
Meanwhile, demand for green-collar workers is rising
dramatically. The National Renewable Energy Laboratories
recently identified “inadequate workforce skills and train-
ing” as one of the primary obstacles to developing energy
efficiency and renewable energy.28 By building on and pro-
viding critical new capacity to our nation’s overstretched
workforce education infrastructure—such as fully funding
The Green Jobs Act authorized in the 2007 energy bill—we
can respond to the needs of the new green economy, skill up
and employ millions of American workers, and help solve the
climate crisis at the same time. Public job training opportu-
nities can be targeted to reach people who need them most:
at risk youth, dislocated and unemployed workers hit hard
by the economic downturn.
Green economic development can also bring some of the
biggest benefits to workers and states hit hardest by recent
economic transformations. Since 1998, the U.S. has lost 7.2
6
million manufacturing jobs due to mergers, bankruptcies,
outsourcing, automation, globalization, and trade policy.29
The twenty states hardest hit by manufacturing job losses
are home to the manufacturing companies and skilled work-
ers capable of producing the renewable energy and energy
efficiency components that the U.S. is importing now from
Germany and Japan, like wind turbine blades, solar cells, and
green building materials.
New Jobs and New Hope
Global warming legislation has the potential to build an
inclusive green economy that creates new pathways out of
poverty and expands opportunity for all American workers
and communities, particularly those who have been shut
out of the current pollution-based economy. As Hurricane
Katrina dramatically illustrated, low-income people will be
the most severely affected by the economic downturns and
dislocations that inevitably result from ecological catastro-
phes.30 If we fail to enact bold federal policies that rapidly
reduce global warming pollution while stimulating energy
efficiency and renewable energy, we will remain on the path
to a climate crisis and economic collapse.
We stand at a crossroads, between business as usual with
an economy dependent on polluting fossil fuels, and the
opportunity to build anew. One path leads to ecological disas-
ter and economic instability. The other builds a safe future
for our children while catalyzing millions of new jobs and
prosperity for all Americans—not just the fortunate and the
well-connected.
We need strong leadership at the federal level to ensure
that the status quo does not prevent us from pursuing this
tremendous opportunity. Right now, thousands of organiza-
tions and individuals across the country have come together
in support of change to match the scale of our challenges:
we’re ready for bold action on global warming, we’re ready
for a sea change in our economy, and we’re ready for 5 mil-
lion green jobs.
“Investing in American energy will create 5 million
green jobs—jobs that will revitalize many of our ru-
ral communities. Jobs that can never be outsourced
to a foreign supplier.”
—Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, 8/27/08
Notes
1
Frank Ackerman and Elizabeth Stanton. The Cost of Climate
Change: What We’ll Pay if Global Warming Continues Unchecked.
For Natural Resources Defense Council. May 2008.
2
Associate Press. Economist Paul Volker Says Steps to Curb Global
Warming Will Not Devastate the Economy. February 6, 2007.
3
This particular definition of “green-collar job” is shared by many
other groups working on the connection between workforce
development and climate change, including: Apollo Alliance,
Green For All, Center for American Progress, The Workforce Alli-
ance, and Center on Wisconsin Strategy.
4
In accordance with the International Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) recommendation for developed countries. Source: IPCC,
AR4, WG3, Chapter 13, Box 13.7. 2007. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/
assessment-report/ar4/wg3/ar4-wg3-chapter13.pdf. Cutting GHGs
25% below 1990 levels is comparable to cutting GHGs 35% below
2005 levels.
5
Source: Texas State Energy Conservation Office http://www.seco.
cpa.state.tx.us/re_wind.htm
6
Source: California’s Public Utilities Commission and Energy Com-
mission. http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/
7
Jonathan Dorn. World Solar Power Nearing Eruption. Earth
Policy Institute. August, 2008. http://www.earth-policy.org/
Updates/2008/Update74.htm
8
For a more comprehensive analysis of concrete green-collar job
pathways and the industries supporting them, see: Sarah White
and Jason Walsh, Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Develop-
ment in the Clean Energy Economy. March 2008.
9
For examples of existing community and neighborhood revitaliza-
tion projects, see Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities: Building
Pathways out of Poverty and Careers in The Clean Energy Econ-
omy. Apollo Alliance & Green For All. 2008.
10
Replacing old plants with new plants will just recycle old jobs
without opportunities for career advancement, new positions and
skill sets, or the high-growth and inherently new jobs associated
with renewable energy and energy efficiency. This observation
applies to nuclear or natural gas plants as well. Source: Mazria.
The 2030 Blueprint. 2008.
11
Daniel M. Kammen, et al., Putting Renewables to Work: How
Many Jobs Can the Clean Energy Industry Generate RAEL: Univer-
sity of California, Berkeley. April 2004/Revised December 2006.
12
Robert Pollin et al. Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good
Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy. Political Economy
Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Septem-
ber 2008.
13
Robert Pollin & Jeanette Wick-Lim. Job Opportunities for the
Green Economy: A State-By-State Picture of Occupations That Gain
from Green Investments. Political Economy Research Institute,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst. June 2008.
14
Roger Bezdek. “Ohio Case Study,” in Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century.” Management Infor-
mation Systems Inc. for the American Solar Energy Society, 2007.
15
The notion that bolder policy creates exponentially more jobs than
moderate policy is also supported by a UCS analysis of a strong vs
moderate Renewable Portfolio Standard in 2007. Source: Union of
Concerned Scientists Cashing in on a Clean Energy Economy. 2007
16
B.C. English, et al. 25% Renewable Energy for the United States by 2025:
Agricultural and Economic Benefits. University of Tennessee. 2006.
17
1Sky supports agriculture-based energy solutions that steer clear
from inflationary effects on food prices. By investing in next-gen-
eration biofuels, like cellulosic ethanol (rather than corn –based
ethanol), our farm states can further increase productivity with-
out increasing the cost of food.
18
McKinsey & Company. Curbing Global Energy Demand Growth:
The Energy Productivity Opportunity. June 2008
19
California Energy Commission. http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/
20
For details, see: Andrea Buffa. California’s Global Warming Solu-
tions Act: A Background Paper for Labor Unions. UC Berkeley
Labor Center. August, 2008. “In California, building and con-
struction trades unions have long promoted energy efficiency
measures like retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency for their
promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions AND create high
quality jobs. Several of their apprenticeship programs offer train-
ing in cutting-edge green construction techniques.”
21
Union of Concerned Scientists. Creating Jobs, Saving Energy, and
Protecting the Environment. October, 2007.
22
Daniel Kammen et al. 2006.
23
Mazria, 2008.
24
86.7 million tonnes of CO2eq, if abated annually from 2012-2020,
would account for almost 1/3 of the annual reductions necessary
to reduce our annual emissions 25% below 1990 levels, in accor-
dance with the IPCC’s recommendation for developed nations (See
IPCC, 2007).
25
Apollo Alliance. The New Apollo Program: Clean Energy, Good
Jobs. September 2008.
26
Sarah White and Jason Walsh, Greener Pathways: Jobs and Work-
force Development in the Clean Energy Economy. March 2008.
27
Barrett and Hoerner. Clean Energy and Jobs. Redefining Progress.
2002. Total transition cost could be covered by just 1% of the rev-
enue taken in by capping carbon emissions.
28
R. Margolis and J. Zuboy. Nontechnical Barriers to Solar Energy
Use: Review of Recent Literature. National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. September 2006.
29
Apollo Alliance, 2008.
30
Redefining Progress. African Americans and Climate Change: An
Unequal Burden. for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation,
Inc. 2004.
7
 For more information about 1Sky
and its allies, visit www.1Sky.org
More Resources from our Friends and Allies:

Green Recovery Greener Pathways

Center for American COWS, The Workforce
Progress and PERI Alliance, Apollo Alliance

The New GREEN-COLLAR JOBS IN AMERICA’S CITIES

Green Jobs in
BUILDING PATHWAYS OUT OF POVERTY AND

Apollo Program CAREERS IN THE CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

American Cities
Apollo Alliance Green For All, Apollo Alliance

Report prepared by Jason Kowalski, 1Sky Policy Fellow, in collabo-

ration with Green for All, with support and guidance from Robert
Pollin, Heidi Garrett-Peltier, Jefferson Bates, and the 1Sky Team.

1Sky October 2008, version 2.0

Creative Commons License: Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United

States http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/