Public Policy & Legislation
The Green Jobs Act (H.R. 2847) was introduced by Representatives Hilda Solis (D-CA) and John Tierney (D-MA) in 2007. It was further championed by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), chairman of the House committee on climate change and energy independence, and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House. In late 2007, it was folded into a bundle of policies where it was passed and signed into law.
The law is the first national legislation to link the problems of global climate change to economic justice, committing the federal government to funding job training for up to 35,000 people a year to work in environmentally-friendly fields. The Act allocates $125 million yearly for green job training programs across the country. Of that:
- $25 million will be allocated to create "green pathways out of poverty" (job training for low-income people to enter the work force in green jobs)
- $80 million for "just transitions" (job re-training to transition people already working into green practices)
- $20 million for renewal energy and energy efficiency research
In September 2008, the House passed H.R. 7060, The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Tax Act, which:
- extends and expands tax incentives for renewable energy, as well as for plug-in hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances
- creates and retains hundreds of thousands of green jobs that cannot be exported
- extends for two years the research and development tax credit to spur American innovation and business investment
- close loopholes allowing corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas
- curtails unnecessary tax subsidies for big, multinational oil and gas companies
- cuts taxes for millions of Americans to create jobs and stimulate the economy
The Senate has not yet taken it up.
For more information contact environment @ uua.org.
Last updated on Thursday, November 6, 2008.
