Emerging Industries Project Report

On October 9, 2009, SBN and the Green Economy Task Force released the Emerging Indusries Project Report, our in-depth look at the workforce development needs of rapidly growing green economy industries in the Philadelphia region.

Click here to read the introduction

Click here to read the first Chapter on Sustainable Manufacturing

Click here to read the second Chapter on Construction and Demolition Waste Recovery

Click here to read the third Chapter on Energy Efficiency and Retrofit

Click here to read the fourth Chapter on Stormwater Management

Urge our U.S. Senators to support A.C.E.S.

Dear Senators Casey and Specter,

The Green Economy Task Force supports the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). ACES will propel America towards a clean energy economy and help to create jobs for Philadelphians with barriers to employment.

We support the 3-tiered approach in ACES, that incorporates a carbon cap, a renewable energy standard and an energy efficiency standard because: 1.) A carbon cap will put a price on carbon dioxide and help to reflect the true cost of energy production, 2.) A strong renewable energy standard will help ramp up the production of clean, renewable energy to help replace fossil fuels, and 3.) A strong energy efficiency standard will help us become more efficient in our use of energy and lower our demand for fossil fuels.

We also strongly support specific provisions to improve the legislation as it was passed by the House. First, we support the Green Construction Careers Demonstration Project, which would create middle class careers in the green economy for low- income Americans. Secondly, we would like to see a provision to provide funding for The Green Jobs Act well beyond 2013, in order to meet the ongoing skill demands of workers and businesses in the clean energy economy.

Philadelphia's Green Economy Task Force

In 2008, SBN launched a new initiative to advocate for a comprehensive green collar job development strategy for the Philadelphia region.  Read on for more information about Philadelphia's Green Economy Task Force.

2008 Activities:

• On February 21st, SBN convened a sold-out public event with Van Jones at the Urban Sustainability Forum.  Over 600 people participated in this event and we set up nine webcast locations across the region to accomodate the demand from participants.  Mayor Michael Nutter welcomed Van Jones to Philadelphia and reaffirmed his commitment to make Philadelphia the green city in the United States.  Click here to find out more or view the video.
• On March 6th, Philadelphia's City Council approved a resolution calling on the Committee on the Environment and the Committee on Economic Development to hold joint hearings on adopting a Green Jobs Corps to help Philadelphia create a qualified, trained workforce to support local green businesses and contractors.  We are grateful to Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown and Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr. for their leadership in introducing this resolution.  Click here to read the resolution. 
• On March 7th, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a Commentary written by SBN's Executive Director, Leanne Krueger-Braneky, on the possibilities for green-collar job development in the Philadelphia region.  Click here to read the Commentary.
• On March 20th, we brought Van Jones back to Philadelphia for an invitation-only Green Economy Strategy Session at City Hall.  This strategy session brought together key leaders from green business, workforce development, green building, labor, youth development and local government to start to work on a strategy for the Philadelphia region.  Four committees were formed to continue the planning:  Policy, Funding, Job Training and Employer Relations.  These committees all held their first meetings within three weeks and are actively pursuing short-term and long-term goals.  SBN will continue to play a convening role in this follow-up work.  E-mail us if you want to get involved with a committee.
• SBN released a report entitled, "Building a Green Economy:  Green Collar Job Development Initiatives in the Delaware Valley."  The report is intended to be resource about the organizations currently training and hiring green-collar workers, as well as new projects on the horizon.  It is not intended to be a complete anthology of every "green" project that is underway in the Philadelphia region.  Click here to download a copy of the report.
• On May 5th, Philadelphia's City Council held a hearing on Green Collar Jobs in City Council Chambers in Room 400 of City Hall.  The hearing was the first step in bringing the issue to Council's attention and we expect the first piece of legislation in support of green collar jobs to be introduced this Fall.
• In August 2008 the Green Economy Task Force released recommendations for sustainable procurement policies for the City of Philadelphia.  These recommendations outline how the City can use the $1.4 billion spent annually on products and services as an economic tool to stimulate green business development.  The Policy Committee has been busy briefing key officials in the administration and City Council members.
• On September 25th, Philadelphia's City Council resolved to recognize September 27th at Green Jobs Now:  A National Day of Action to Build the New Economy in Philadelphia.  We are grateful to Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown for bringing attention to the Green Jobs Now Day of Action.  Click here to read the resolution.
• On September 27th, we partnered with Green for All, 1 Sky and the We Campaign to participate in the Green Jobs Now! National Day of Action to Build a New Economy.  Find out more about our event at the New Kensington Community Development Corporation's Garden Center.

2009 Activities:

• On January 15th, the Urban Sustainability Forum hosted a forum on green jobs titled, "The Green Economy-Economy and Environment Working Hand in Hand."  Speakers included SBN Executive Director Leanne Krueger-Braneky, Blue-Green Alliance Director David Foster and representatives from Chicago's GreenCorps.  Listen to a podcast from the event.
• On January 28th, the Sustainable Business Network gathered the members of the Green Economy Task Force and other important community stakeholders for a Green Economy Strategy Session at the Center for Architecture.  Read the meeting report.
• On February 4th, the Sustainable Business Network led a delegation of local leaders to Washington DC to educate local lawmakers about our work in Philadelphia and to ask them to fully fund the Green Jobs Act in the Economic Stimulus Plan.  Delegates also joined 2,500 attendees at the National Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference.  Find out more about the trip.
• On February 17th, President Obama signed into law an economic recovery bill that included $87 billion in green investment funds, including the $500 million for green collar job training that we were hoping for.
• Later that month, the Sustainable Business Network hired Kate Houstoun to lead its green collar jobs initiatives, including overseeing the Green Economy Task Force, currently 130 stakeholder groups strong.

What's Happens Next:

Developing a green collar job strategy that plugs the holes left behind by the 400,000 manufacturing jobs that left our region in the past four decades is a task that will take many partners to complete.  This work is much bigger than any one organzation alone.  SBN will continue to play a convening role in upcoming discussions and we welcome the participation of green business leaders, organized labor, workforce development organizations and local government.  If you have resources to bring to the table, we'd love to talk to you!

Resources:

Green for All is the national organization that has taken the lead in advocating for green-collar jobs.  Visit their website.

Green-Collar Jobs in the News:

The New York Times ran an insert about green-collar jobs on March 26, 2008.  Click here to read it now.

The Philadelphia Inquirer: "A Silver Lining to Going Green."  May 3, 2008  Click here to read it now.

City Paper:  "One Stone?"  May 21, 2008.  Click here to read it now. 

Philadelphia Daily News: "The Big Idea: Smart Cities Embrace Sustainability" April 28, 2009  Click here to read it now.

The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Creating A Lasting Green Economy" Sunday May 3, 2009 Click here to read it now.

Philadelphia Daily News: "Greenadelphia" Thursday May 14, 2009

"It means people like Leanne Krueger-Braneky, leader of the city's Sustainable Business Network, and Natalia Olson de Savyckyj, a city planning and zoning commissioner, were nimble enough to lead more than a dozen greenheads to D.C. on a frigid February day. By 6:30 that night, they'd shuffled into meetings with both Pennsylvania senators, three local reps and dozens of top aides.

The pair put the trip together when they heard that Vice President Biden would be announcing a big job-creation plan a couple of weeks later, also right here in Philadelphia. The ad hoc delegation focused - laserlike - on green jobs for city residents and called themselves the "Green Economy Task Force...."

Click here to read it now.