Perspective: Workforce planning critical to cutting climate pollution

Climate action planning in the U.S. has typically taken place at the local level. The creation of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program in 2023 changed that. 

Funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CPRG is catalyzing climate planning at the regional, state, and tribal levels across the country.  

Through the program, 45 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, 82 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), four territories, and 81 Tribes and Tribal Consortia (representing over 200 Tribes total) received planning funding to complete a Priority Climate Action Plan by Spring 2024. For many entities, this was their first time developing a climate action plan. 

In July and September, the EPA awarded $4.6 billion in CPRG implementation funds to selected applicants. 

This summer, I had the opportunity to contribute to this historic wave of climate action planning as a McKinney Climate Fellow with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC). MMC is a membership organization of the 275 cities, towns, and villages in the Chicago region. The Caucus focuses on uniting local leaders to work on tough policy issues by promoting collaboration and consensus building, including on environmental issues. 

The CPRG planning effort allowed MMC to expand its normal jurisdiction to include the entire “metropolitan statistical area.” This includes nine counties in Northeast Illinois, three counties in Northwest Indiana, and one county in Southeast Wisconsin. Currently, MMC is contributing to the region’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), to be submitted in Summer 2025, by leading a workforce planning analysis. 

A workforce planning analysis anticipates workforce changes that could prevent the achievement of climate goals outlined in the region’s plan. Workforce planning analyses are imperative to climate planning and require answers to pragmatic questions that are critical to decarbonizing local economies, such as: 

• Do you have the workers necessary to implement bold climate goals like carbon neutrality in transportation, buildings, energy, and other sectors?  

• If not, what programs are available to help develop the workforce in these fields? 

• What new programs need to be built? 

Finding answers to these questions can help identify potential solutions and partners at the local, regional, and state levels that are equipped to address these challenges. 

As a fellow, I conducted research and outreach on behalf of MMC for the workforce planning analysis component of the CCAP. The task required analyzing data from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Energy, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to get a snapshot of Chicago’s current employment picture and employment projections in key sectors. 

I also conducted interviews with workforce development leaders spanning nonprofits, apprenticeship programs, and community colleges. Furthermore, the task pushed me to familiarize myself with state level policies, such as Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, that enable workforce training programs at the local level. 

To better visualize some of the barriers to creating the green workforce the Chicago-area needs, I applied my GIS skills from my studies at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Using the EPA’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool as inspiration, I downloaded and filtered data related to workforce disadvantages, such as low income, high unemployment, or low educational attainment, and created a Chicagoland map that allows users to zero in on these disparities by census tract or municipal jurisdiction. This analysis can help local decision makers visualize where workforce disparities are concentrated and guide allocation of resources.

From this work, I learned several key things about the role of workforce development in carrying out climate action. First, workforce development planning has oftentimes been overlooked in the climate planning process; opportunities like the CPRG program are changing that. Second, a lot of the important climate work will be carried out by skilled tradespeople, like roofers, electricians, and HVAC technicians. And finally, to bring about equitable change, employers should strive to uphold good job principles, such as those outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor. 

I learned that any job can be helpful to the climate — including a lot of jobs that aren’t traditionally thought of as climate jobs. Yes, you need your sustainability professionals to create climate action goals and push for local action. However, you also need a lot of people on the ground doing the work of building a sustainable future. 

You need bus and rail drivers and mechanics that make public transportation efficient, reliable, and effective. You need solar panel installers and wind turbine technicians to meet renewable energy goals. You need electricians and HVAC installers trained in energy efficient technologies to decarbonize the building sector. 

Workforce training and development organizations are key players in making this transition possible. The CPRG program is challenging cities and states across the country to rethink how these partners can be deployed to create thriving, post-carbon economies. To meet our climate goals, we have our “work” cut out for us.

Genevieve Zilmer is ERI's community resilience outreach coordinator and a graduate student at the IU O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs and Master of Science in Environmental Science.