New York City officials have unveiled the Green Economy Action Plan, a roadmap for growing the city’s green economy through investment in jobs and sectors committed to combating climate change.
Included in the plan is training and positioning for 400,000 “green collar” workers by 2040, with a focus on supporting individuals from environmentally disadvantaged communities. Further, the city plans to create a Climate Innovation Hub, located at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, for the growth of green tech startups and businesses.
The new hub will be joined with the Trust for Governors Island and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation to create a three-campus system, expected to support 5,000 new jobs and generate $55 billion of economic impact.
The plan also includes 21 focus occupations that are key for growing the green economy and also allow for economic mobility, such as construction managers, electrical engineers, solar panel installers, and facilities managers. NYCTalent, along with other city agencies and private partners, plans to establish a workforce training facility in every borough of New York City, delivering over 12,000 apprenticeships through 2040.
The new action plan was recently made public by Mayor Eric Adams, CEO of NYC Economic Development Corporation Andrew Kimball, and Executive Director of the NYCTalent Office Abby Jo Sigal.
New York has established itself as a major player in the clean energy transition, and New York City aims to become the most sustainable major city in the world. The state of New York has experienced immense renewable energy growth, particularly in terms of solar and wind projects, and it currently aims to meet 70% renewable-sourced electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2040.
Workforce development is a required piece of the state’s clean energy progress, especially as the construction sector and other industries key to the transition face workforce shortages. According to Deloitte’s 2024 U.S. Renewable Energy Industry Outlook, training and retraining the U.S. workforce is required for a successful clean energy transition. The same goes for New York -- the new workforce development plan is reportedly key to the state’s continued success in building its green economy.
"Matching New York's ground-breaking leadership in climate action legislation will require an equally innovative initiative to train and up-skill our workforce," said Richard Yancey, executive director of Building Energy Exchange. "The Green Economy Action Plan is critical to unlocking New York's talent and innovation, delivering on the promise of a green collar workforce, while creating thousands of jobs to reduce the threat of climate change."
