Climate change presents an urgent threat, but it also presents the greatest opportunity of our time: the chance to rebuild our economy with 100% clean energy and to create 10.6 million good, union jobs in the process. Add your name to support a Green New Deal that not only reduces our carbon emissions but also jumpstarts our economy.
Earlier this month, climate scientists published new research
suggesting the planet is hurtling towards an ecological tipping point
that would irreversibly damage the earth and threaten our livable
climate -- for good. This most recent study adds to the growing body of evidence that climate change is happening faster than scientists originally thought. And it further reinforces what we already know: we have roughly a decade
left to avoid catastrophic impacts by ending our economic dependence on
fossil fuels and substantially reducing global emissions.
But
while climate change presents an urgent threat, it also presents the
greatest opportunity of our time: the chance to rebuild our economy with
100% clean energy, to address the racial and economic inequality
embedded in our fossil fuel economy, and to create millions of good,
union jobs in the process.
This is not the first time our country has faced a threat of this magnitude.
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt said we would build a historic air force of 185,000 planes to defeat the Nazis, America had a nascent military aircraft industry. But FDR rallied the nation to the task: by the end of World War II, we had produced around 300,000 aircraft in less than 5 years.
When John F. Kennedy told the nation
that we would send a man to the moon in under a decade, people said
that would be impossible, too. But our top scientists and engineers came
together and changed the world forever, delivering not just a lunar
landing but also a torrent of new technology that helped working Americans here at home.
From
World War II to the space race, American ingenuity has risen to meet
seemingly impossible challenges -- leading the world and unleashing
economic benefits for Americans in the process.
Today
we face a new challenge. Defeating the climate crisis will require the
ingenuity of the moon landing and an economic and industrial
mobilization unseen since our efforts in World War II. It will need to
happen at the speed and scale of FDR’s New Deal, which launched over 50 federal programs and pulled millions
of Americans out of unemployment. It will take workers of all kinds to
rebuild and repower our energy grid and to upgrade our transportation,
building, and water systems to guard against the worst effects of
climate change and protect our most vulnerable communities. And it will
take workers in every corner of America -- from construction foremen in
the Rust Belt to pipefitters in the Bayou -- to transform our country’s
infrastructure.
The Green New Deal is the answer to this national call.
After
the 2008 crash, President Obama ushered through the historic American
Reinvestment and Recovery Act to jumpstart our economy and bring an end
to the Great Recession. Included in this total federal investment was
$90 billion for clean energy, making it one of the largest investments
in clean energy in U.S. history. The Council of Economic Advisors later reported that every $1 invested in clean energy leveraged an additional $1.60 in non-federal and private dollars.
Using this historical data and other estimates
as a guide, my plans for a Green New Deal will result in an estimated
total public and private investment of $10.7 trillion in our new clean
energy economy. And independent experts
that examined my ideas for a Green New Deal to analyze how they will
drive job creation estimated that they will create 10.6 million new
green jobs. This will help rebuild the middle class by providing
family-supporting wages, career pathways, and worker protections in our
new green economy.
This
is the opportunity of the Green New Deal: a $10.7 trillion total
investment in our clean economy that spurs 10.6 million green new jobs.
And we’ll do it all together -- with no community and no worker left
behind.
I
mean it when I say that defeating the climate crisis will be a top
priority of my administration. That’s why today I’m releasing my plan to
enact a climate change agenda that not only reduces our carbon
emissions but also jumpstarts our economy.
Developing the Green Workforce of the Future
There
are already clean energy job opportunities across the country. But with
$10.7 trillion in federal and private investments, we can turn these
opportunities into 10.6 million new, union jobs rebuilding our nation’s
infrastructure and transitioning to the new clean energy economy. To
support the millions of skilled and experienced contractors we will need
to plan and execute large construction and engineering projects in the
new clean economy and to support the first responders, healthcare
workers, social workers, and other public and private employees who
respond to climate-induced disasters, my administration will commit to
investments in retraining, joint labor management apprenticeships, and
creating strong career pipelines to ensure a continuous supply of
skilled, available workers. And, we will look for every opportunity to
partner with high schools and vocational schools to build pathways to
the middle class for kids who opt not to go to college.
Expanding job training. We currently invest $200 million
annually in apprenticeship programs across the country. Successfully
training and re-training millions of skilled laborers to rebuild our
nation’s infrastructure, however, will require scaling up dramatically.
That’s why my plan to Defend and Create American Jobs
calls for a tenfold increase in investments in apprenticeships -- a $20
billion commitment over the next ten years. I’ll follow Governor
Inslee’s lead by re-establishing dedicated programs for green industrial
and construction job training and placement under the Workforce
Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA), too.
And
investing in job training is only the first step. A Warren
administration will link public investments in clean energy
infrastructure to apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training, as
well as graduation rates and local hires, to ensure that we are creating
a full training-to-career pipeline. My plans
also call for expanded technical and trade school opportunities to
create pathways into good jobs in the new clean energy economy that will
not require a college degree. And my administration will create
regional sector-specific training partnerships to help better align
training with the local job market, leverage the community college
system, and ensure that workers gain transferable skills.
Partnering with unions to rebuild the middle class.
I am committed to ensuring that all of the 10.6 million new jobs in the
clean economy pull working Americans back into the middle class -- and
to working hand-in-hand with unions to do so. That’s why I will fight
for good wages and strong benefits for every worker that joins the new
clean economy. A Warren administration will condition federal clean
energy investments to state, local, and tribal governments on employers
offering family-supporting wages and benefits — and will enforce this
through Project Labor Agreements, prevailing wage laws, and Community
Benefit Agreements. And I will work hand-in-hand with unions to return
power to the working people powering the green economy. Unions built the
middle class and unions will rebuild the middle class in the green
economy of the future, too.
I’ve already committed
to making sweeping reforms to our labor policy. These changes will
extend labor rights to all workers -- for example, narrowing the
definition of “supervisor” under the National Labor Relations Act to end
the exclusion of workers like the construction foremen that will lead
the charge on building our clean energy grids. They will guarantee
workers entering this new economy have a voice in actually shaping it by
strengthening organizing and collective bargaining rights and
increasing worker choice and control, including by requiring
large companies to allow workers to elect no less than 40% of board
members. And I will work with unions to design the training and
apprenticeship programs that can create strong career pipelines for
workers to enter this new green economy, helping to expand opportunities
-- and a continuous supply of skilled workers to power this
transformation.
Ensuring the new clean economy is open to everyone.
In addition to employing millions of new workers in the clean economy, I
am committed to leaving no worker behind as we transition to an economy
powered on clean energy. That includes honoring our commitments to
fossil fuel workers by holding fossil fuel companies accountable and
defending worker pensions, benefits, and securing retirements. I will
make sure the opportunities created are available to those who have
traditionally been excluded -- especially women and communities of color
-- by imposing new rules on companies that hope to receive federal contracts.
Rebuilding
our nation’s infrastructure as part of the new clean energy economy
will take all of us, including returning citizens -- which is why my
administration will partner with organizations that make renewable
energy and associated job training available to underserved communities
and formerly incarcerated individuals. And my plan to empower workers will expand worker safety protections for workers entering the green economy -- like our transit workers who are increasingly subject to assault -- and I will strengthen anti-discrimination protections for workers from all backgrounds.
Repowering our Energy Sector
In 2018, clean energy industries employed over 3.2 million
Americans -- more workers than in the petroleum, natural gas and coal
industries combined. The clean energy industry is rapidly expanding --
the two fastest-growing
jobs in the nation are solar panel installer and wind turbine
technician. But there is more to do, and the federal government can and
should play a role in increasing the speed and scale of this transition.
A
Warren administration will focus on rebuilding and repowering our
energy grid to grow our economy -- and my plans will create 6.8 million
good paying jobs in the energy sector, all while cutting carbon
pollution.
100% Clean Energy Plan
While some states and utilities
have been leading the way on cleaning up their electricity sources, far
too many are falling behind. My plan calls for the federal government
to set a bold standard for achieving 100% carbon-neutral power by 2030,
including carbon-free baseload solutions, putting us on the path to a
100% emissions-free electricity supply by 2035.
These
ambitious targets will require us to ramp up renewable energy
generation and deployment dramatically. Cleaning up our energy system
will create a diverse range of jobs -- from construction worker to
electrician to project manager. But these good paying jobs won’t just be
in renewable energy. They will also come from making homes, offices,
and industries more energy efficient. And through my Green Manufacturing
plan, we’ll jumpstart American research and manufacturing in areas like
battery storage, which will require a whole new set of skills and
laborers. And wherever possible, we’ll invest in modernizing our grid
with American-made materials, spurring still more jobs right here at
home.
Offshore Wind Jobs
Right now, there is only one offshore wind project operating in this country -- Rhode Island’s Block Island Wind Farm. It’s clear that today, we are failing to make use of the clean, powerful energy resource that lies just off our coasts. My Blue New Deal For Our Oceans
plan will jumpstart the offshore wind industry. Bringing these offshore
wind projects to life will generally require the help of workers from
more than 70
different occupations -- from machinists to engineers, sailors to
ironworkers, electricians to longshoremen. By 2030, offshore wind energy
development from Maryland to Maine could support
more than 36,000 full time jobs. And even after they’re built, we will
need workers to operate and service the turbines. My Blue New Deal also
calls for electrifying and shoring up our ports, creating additional
jobs throughout our coastal communities.
Restarting Our Transportation Sector
America’s transportation and trucking industry accounts for more than 10 million direct jobs, with over 3 million truck drivers alone. But right now, transportation also accounts for the largest portion
of U.S. carbon pollution. Moreover, our public transportation
infrastructure is crumbling: the American Society of Civil Engineers
gave our roads
a “D” grade on their most recent infrastructure report card, with one
out of every five miles of highway pavement in poor condition.
For too long, our government has failed
to invest in critical infrastructure -- and unless we take action, poor
conditions will continue to plague one of our most important
industries. But this, too, is an opportunity: as we rebuild our
crumbling transportation infrastructure, we can build in climate
resiliency, and create a transportation system powered by electricity
rather than fossil fuels. The
massive project of investing in our transportation infrastructure will
affect every state and county in the nation, creating about 2.6 million
jobs in the public and private sector.
Build Green Program
Public transportation is a $71 billion industry that employs more than 430,000 people. And yet, 45%
of Americans still do not have access to public transportation, leaving
those without access reliant on car ownership to get to work, school
and worship. We know that increasing public transportation rates and
decreasing vehicle miles traveled is one of the best ways to reduce emissions.
That’s why I’m proposing a new Build Green program, which would
establish a new grant program to electrify public buses, school buses,
rail, cars, and fleet vehicles that is modeled after the Department of
Transportation’s BUILD grant program. This program will be paid for by
closing corporate loopholes, and will open up new funding opportunities
for states, cities, counties and tribal governments to expand and
electrify public transportation options. A study conducted in the Twin
Cities found Black, Asian-American, and Latinx commuters have longer commutes than white commuters. And people with disabilities face
particular barriers in using and accessing public transportation. These
investments will be crucial to ensuring equitable and accessible
transportation for all.
100% Clean Vehicles. Demand for passenger electric vehicles is growing at home and abroad -- but even though more and more people want electric vehicles, they still only account for around 1%
of vehicles on the road. To spur auto manufacturing in this space, I
have put forward a bold and ambitious goal to require all new light -and
medium-duty vehicles sold by 2030 to be zero emission vehicles. We’ll
achieve this goal by investing in a nationwide network of electric
vehicle charging infrastructure. By the end of the first term of a
Warren administration, there will be a charging station at every rest
stop in America. And this nation-wide network of charging infrastructure
will begin to lay the groundwork for electrifying long-haul trucking,
too.
But
charging station infrastructure is only half the battle. Right now,
consumers don’t have enough access to vehicles. In 2011, there were only
two mass market electric vehicles available to consumers -- and even now, the auto industry offers only fifteen models. While car manufacturers are already trying
to meet growing demand, my investment in clean energy technology,
including products designed for use in the electric vehicle supply
chain, will further increase adoption of electric vehicles by making it
easier for auto manufacturers to build the vehicles that consumers
want.
We've
let our failure to take action destroy our transportation
infrastructure for too long and a Warren administration will make sure
that the Department of Transportation acts with the speed and scale
necessary to address the climate challenges ahead of us. I will take
executive action to require the Department of Transportation set
performance management rules that require federal transportation
investments to be accompanied by life-cycle analysis and reduction
strategies for climate and other transportation related pollution.
Renewing Our Water Infrastructure
America’s
water infrastructure is crumbling. The government’s failure to invest
is putting Americans in danger in two ways: first, our levees, dams and inland waterways
infrastructure are all at risk -- and will only become more stressed by
climate change as sea-level rise, extreme flooding, and drought all
become more frequent and severe. Second, our drinking water is
increasingly at risk: as the infrastructure supporting it crumbles, an
estimated 77 million
Americans live with tap water that violates federal safe water
standards -- and this number does not even include the millions more
served by very small water systems or private domestic wells. Meanwhile,
more and more Americans struggle to afford their water bills as water bill costs
have risen at more than double the rate of inflation over the last 20
years. Fixing our water infrastructure is an urgent priority -- but we
risk not having enough hands on deck, as the water sector’s aging workforce
increasingly enters into retirement. Reinvesting in our nation's water
infrastructure isn’t just essential for the health and the safety of our
communities, it’s also a chance to grow our workforce. In
a Warren administration, we’ll not only protect Americans by rebuilding
our nation's water infrastructure -- we’ll also create about 190,000
thousand good, union jobs in the process.
Rebuilding America’s dams, levees, and inland waterways.
Our
nation's dams, levees, and inland waterways provide necessary
infrastructure for shipping and hydroelectric power -- but they’ve been
so underfunded that they are putting our communities at risk. When the
Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway failed in 2017, nearly 200,000 people
were evacuated from rural Northern California. And the failure of New
Orleans’ levees during Hurricane Katrina made Katrina one of the most
devastating U.S. hurricane on record, killing 1,800 people, damaging 70% of homes in New Orleans, and resulting in damages of $125 billion.
This stops now. A Warren administration will triple the US Army Corps
of Engineers’ annual budget so that they have the resources they need to
upgrade our water infrastructure and defend our vulnerable communities
from harm. We’ll pay for this with savings from my plan
to transition the military away from its dependence on fossil fuels and
other internal Department of Defense funding shifts. This dramatic
expansion will create new opportunities for good, federal jobs as we
update critical infrastructure across the nation -- an investment that
is more important than ever to defend vulnerable front-line communities
from more frequent and more severe weather events.
Ensuring safe drinking water for all
Nearly a decade ago the UN General Assembly adopted
a resolution recognizing access to water and sanitation as basic human
rights. But today, the United States is in the middle of a dangerous
drinking water crisis. Not only do an estimated 77 million Americans
have tap water that violated federal standards, but at least 2 million Americans
still don’t have access to running water. And because of a long legacy
of unfair, racist, and deliberate policy choices, communities of color
are disproportionately likely to lack access to safe, affordable drinking water. After decades
of declining federal investments in safe water, it’s time to invest in
safe, affordable water for our communities. That’s why I have committed
to fully capitalizing
federal programs that fund drinking water capital infrastructure, such
as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund. And I will go further by supporting Rep. Joe Kennedy’s
Affordable Safe Drinking Water Act, which would extend the horizon for
states and localities to repay revolving loans and expand the funding to
cover the installation of lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) filtering systems and remediation measures. These important
updates to the State Revolving Fund programs will not only guarantee
much-needed upgrades to our drinking water infrastructure, but will also
spur necessary investments to allow for expanded job opportunities. My
administration will continue to invest in brownfield remediation, which is why I have proposed
to reinstate and then triple the Superfund Tax to ensure that we
protect our communities from the legacy of environmental harm and we put
people to work in the process. And I will remain committed to standing
with communities across the country that are impacted by lead.
Jobs in the water sector are wide ranging: there are more than 200 different occupations,
including in skilled trades, administration, and finance. What’s more,
because every community needs quality water, these jobs exist across the
nation. I will work to create more inclusive career paths for water
workers to meet the needs of our drinking water infrastructure by
fighting for increases in the percent of local hires and
minority/women-owned contracts that are awarded as part of water-related
government contracting. And I will work with Congress to fully fund the
EPA’s Brownfields Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training
Grants Program and the Environmental Health Sciences Environmental
Career Worker Training Program, which is helping to improve workforce
development for water-related careers. Lastly and in order to confront
America’s drinking water crisis head on, I will take executive action to
develop a national inter-agency safe and affordable drinking water
roadmap. And to inform this effort I will convene a Water Equity
Advisory Council with representation from key environmental justice and
community-based organizations that are on the frontlines of addressing
our safe water crisis.
Rebuilding our Homes, Buildings and Schools
In his Second Inaugural Address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared
that the “test of our progress is not whether we add more to the
abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for
those who have too little.” Later that term, FDR signed into law the
Wagner-Steagall Housing Act, which put Americans to work building new,
modern affordable housing units across the country. But today, whether
it’s a leaky window, an old appliance, or mold in a home, it’s
hard-working Americans that pay the price through increased utility
bills and housing costs.
As I’ve outlined in my 100% Clean Energy Plan,
I’ll work with states and local governments to develop and implement
new and stronger building codes to reach zero-carbon emissions and
building those new standards into federal grant requirements, tax
credits, and mortgage products. And I’ll launch an initiative to improve
the energy efficiency of existing buildings, with the goal of upgrading
4% of buildings a year until the job is done. All
told, my plans will create over 970,000 thousand new jobs as demand
grows across sectors from the manufacturing of American-made energy
efficient materials to large and small-scale construction efforts.
Safe and affordable housing
We
currently have a government that has paid lip service to the idea of
providing all Americans in need with safe and affordable housing. The
federal government hasn’t funded new public housing
construction in decades and has turned a blind eye to the massive
maintenance backlog needed to make sure the limited housing we do have
is safe to live in. That stops now. My Affordable Housing Plan would
invest $500 billion over 10 years to address this crisis and would
create 3 million new housing units. As a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act,
I recognize the right to safe, affordable housing for every American
and the need for new, green jobs to realize FDR’s dream. My Green Public Housing program
will build on the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, by raising
living standards and providing the financial assistance necessary to
retrofit these homes. This will require training a new American
workforce and would alone create 240,000 new jobs every year. We can address the climate crisis while we tackle the housing crisis, too.
Providing our children with healthy learning and living environments
As a former public school teacher, I know firsthand how our children’s learning can be affected by their environment. More than half of our public schools need repairs in order to be in “good” condition. Our poor school infrastructure has serious effects on the health and academic outcomes of students and on the well-being of teachers and staff. That’s why in my K-12 plan
I’ve committed at least an additional $50 billion to improving our
school infrastructure. This will require a workforce across the country
to identify the schools most in need and carry out the necessary
upgrades to provide our children with the learning environment they
deserve. There’s nothing more important to me than investing in our kids
because it means we’re investing in our future.
Green
infrastructure means inclusive infrastructure. We have to recognize
that our building infrastructure crisis is an environmental justice
crisis. The disparities in our building infrastructure reflect the
racial inequities that exist in America today. Historically, redlining
denied entire groups of people—primarily communities of color—the chance
to live in neighborhoods of their choice while also making them the
victims of environmental racism. Studies
have shown that low-income and minority children bear the brunt of
poisoning from lead-based paint and failing lead pipes in older housing
units. Our system has also failed Americans with disabilities who occupy
41%
of our public housing units and yet only 3% of those units are ADA
accessible. These same inequities exist in our public schools, too. In
New York City, for example, 83% of elementary schools in New York City are not fully accessible to students with disabilities.
This
ends in a Warren administration. It’s the job of our government to
reverse these injustices, and I will put Americans to work to finish the
job. That’s why I will use the full force of the federal government to
invest in addressing these disparities -- and creating millions of good,
union jobs in the process. Together, these plans will curb homelessness
in America, put Americans to work in quality jobs, protect the health
of American families, and ease the burden on their pocketbooks.
Financing the Green Jobs Plan
Defeating
the climate crisis and transitioning our economy to run on 100% clean
energy will take big, structural change. That’s why my plans will result
in $10.7 trillion in federal and non- federal funding to fight for a
Green New Deal -- backed up by detailed plans laying out exactly how we
will use those dollars -- to address the size of this crisis.
The transition to clean energy is an opportunity to transform our economy, creating new industries, like in zero-emissions building construction, and greatly expanding others,
like electric vehicle manufacturing, at a speed and scale not seen
since World War II -- and creating huge opportunities for state, local
and non-federal investment in the process, too. My Administration will
create new financing tools to unlock state, local, and private
investment and direct it towards meaningful investments that tackle
climate change, produce jobs, and reduce inequality. And my
administration will put in place strong protections to ensure that this
$10.7 trillion commitment flows to the right places, so that our climate
investments benefit all Americans -- not just the wealthy and
well-connected.
A New Green Bank
A
Green Bank is among the best ways to ensure a dedicated funding stream
for an economy-wide climate transition to reconcile the scale of
investment required with the speed of transition necessary to defeat the
climate crisis. I’ll work with Congress to establish a bank modeled
after and expanded upon the National Climate Bank Act,
introduced earlier this year by my friend and colleague Senator Markey.
We’ll put in place strong bipartisan oversight and governance to ensure
that investments are equitable and benefit working Americans. And
ultimately, this new Green Bank will mobilize $1 trillion in climate and green infrastructure investments across the country over 30 years.
The
Green Bank will open up new markets for greater investment by working
alongside existing federal authorities through direct spending, grants,
and loans. It will provide
security for investors looking for climate-friendly investments in mid-
to large-scale infrastructure projects that serve the public interest
but might not otherwise attract private capital due to risk-return
thresholds, payback horizons, credit risk or other factors. It will
increase the overall scale of clean energy investment and the pace of
substitution of clean energy technologies for fossil-fuel based
technologies, while also protecting consumers by keeping energy prices
low and ensuring compliance with the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau’s regulations. And it will expand opportunities for communities
and the private sector by directing funds toward communities on the
front lines of the climate crisis that have traditionally been left out
of investment opportunities.
Green Victory Bonds
Today many states
have green bonds programs, using the proceeds to fund land use
projects, river and habitat preservation, and energy and water
infrastructure. Green bonds have also surged in popularity worldwide, with sales growing 46% last year to a total of about $460 billion.
While the federal government has never issued a green bond, the World War II-era “Victory Bond”
program was a major success, raising $185 billion -- over $2 trillion
in 2012 dollars -- and four out of five American households bought
Victory Bonds. I’ll propose a “Green Victory Bond,” backed by the
full-faith and credit of the United States by the Treasury Department,
to finance the transition to a green economy. These Green Victory Bonds
will be sold at levels that allow Americans across the socioeconomic
spectrum the opportunity to own a piece of the climate solution, and to
benefit from the new green economy that we build together.
America
has a long and proud history of rising to the challenges that have
faced this country -- and defeating the climate crisis is no exception. A
Warren administration will ensure that as we fight climate change, each
and every American benefits from the opportunities created by the clean
economy -- especially the 10.6 million workers who will power our
transition to 100% clean energy.
