Building a Green Economy to End Poverty

Ethical MarketsSRI/ESG News

Green for All has a simple but ambitious mission: to help build a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

Per capita, the United States is the number one emitter of greenhouse gasses. The United States must now transition rapidly to a low-carbon economy, with an emphasis on renewable energy and conservation measures. This transition could boost the United States economy, generating new opportunities for wealth and work. A highly-trained “green-collar” workforce is going to be essential to a successful transition, but the US lacks a comprehensive job training strategy to meet the demand for skilled labor in the emerging green trades (e.g., green building, solar panel installation, energy-saving retrofits of existing buildings, bio-fuel production, etc.). Progress toward global warming solutions could be slowed by a simple shortage of skilled labor. Such an outcome would be doubly tragic since so many urban and rural communities are desperate for new sources of work, hope and opportunity. Green For All will advocate for a national commitment to greater job training, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the emerging green economy-especially for people from disadvantaged communities.

Ella Baker Center and Green For All are already making serious progress. They succeeded in convincing the US House of Representatives to pass the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which authorizes $125 million in green-collar job training (enough to train about 30,000 workers). Companion legislation passed in 2007 in the US Senate. They also succeeded in getting the City of Oakland to fund a local Green Jobs Corps for 2008. As the United States moves to a clean energy economy, both common decency and smart politics dictate that we should minimize the pain and maximize the gain for poor people. Creating greater access to “green-collar” jobs can be a key part of that effort.

For more information on the Ella Baker Center and Green For All, please refer to their websites:

www.ellabakercenter.org
www.greenforall.org