Leading Labor Unions and Environmental Groups Join Forces to Act on Climate

The Solidarity for Climate Action platform will combat our greatest global threat while creating jobs and tackling economic inequality.

The BlueGreen Alliance—a partnership that includes eight of the largest unions in the United States and six of the country’s most influential environmental organizations, including NRDC—has released a landmark plan to combat the climate crisis all while creating high-quality jobs and addressing economic inequality.

Nearly a decade in the making, the Solidarity for Climate Action platform outlines ways for achieving rapid reductions in greenhouse gas pollution to help the United States reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It’s the first time the country’s leading unions have put together a comprehensive plan that addresses climate change, at such a large scale.

"Our new climate platform demonstrates that the labor and environmental movements are unified, committed, and energized to fight the growing dangers—and costs—of climate change,” says Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, director of programs at NRDC. “Together we can ensure that cutting climate pollution, rebuilding our infrastructure, making our communities resilient, and transitioning to a clean energy economy will provide better jobs and lives for hard-working families, while safeguarding everyone against the worst impacts of climate change.”

Some of the plan’s proposed measures include massive and immediate investments in clean and renewable technology and energy efficiency across all sectors; growing and strengthening unions; guaranteed pensions for workers transitioning to the clean energy economy; access to training and advancement for workers from low-income households and underrepresented groups; and ensuring that workplaces are safe from toxic pollution and harmful chemicals.

With this powerful platform brought forward by this group, the alliance is now calling on Congress, the White House, and local governments to help put the plan into action.