Equitable and Just People’s Climate Corp Resolution
WHEREAS, a part of President Biden's American Jobs Plan calls for $10 billion to launch a new large-scale 21st century Civilian Climate Corps ("CCC") to combat the21st century problem. The CCC, which would employ thousands of young people to address the threat of climate change, strengthen the country's natural defenses and maintain its ailing public lands; and
WHEREAS, the Biden Task Force shall facilitate the organization and deployment of a Government-wide approach to combat the climate crisis. This Task Force shall facilitate planning and implementation of key Federal actions to reduce climate pollution; increase resilience to the impacts of climate change; protect public health; conserve our lands, waters, oceans, and biodiversity; deliver environmental justice; and spur well-paying union jobs and economic growth. As necessary and appropriate, members of the Task Force will engage on these matters with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments; workers and communities; and leaders across the various sectors of our economy; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics total unemployment rate is at 6.1 percent as of April 2021, or the number of unemployed persons, at 9.8 million according to the Household Survey Data. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (6.1 percent), adult women (5.6 percent), teenagers (12.3 percent), Whites (5.3 percent), Blacks (9.7 percent), Asians (5.7 percent), and Hispanics (7.9 percent); and
WHEREAS, the Institute of Policy Studies report "Dreams Deferred Racial Wealth Divide", systemic racism has contributed to the persistence of race-based gaps that manifest in many different economic indicators. The starkest divides are in measures of household wealth, reflecting centuries of white privilege that have made it particularly difficult for people of color to achieve economic security; and
WHEREAS, the, the median Black family has $24,100 in wealth. This is just 12.7 percent of the $189,100 in wealth owned by the typical White family. The median Latino family, with $36,050, owns just 19.1 percent of the wealth of the median White family; and
WHEREAS, the Solar Foundation reports long-term growth: between 2013 and 2018, solar employment grew 11 percent annually — six times faster than overall U.S. employment. American Wind Energy Association specifies that wind jobs, like solar jobs, consist of construction, manufacturing and professional and are spread across all 50 states, which means there are factory and manufacturing jobs even in states that do not have wind farms. The industry is growing, especially for turbine service technicians, which was the second-fastest growing occupation across the entire economy in 2018. And according to a Clean Energy Jobs 2021 Report there are 3,011,567 clean energy jobs, which consist of renewable energy, grid and storage, energy efficiency and clean vehicles; and
WHEREAS, despite the overall decline due to the pandemic, clean energy remains the biggest job creator across America's energy sector, employing nearly three times as many workers as work in fossil fuel extraction and generation. More Americans still work in clean energy than work as middle and elementary school teachers, bankers, farmers or real estate agents. Median hourly wages for clean energy jobs also are about 25 percent higher than the national median wage, and also pay better than most fossil fuel extraction jobs
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its support creation of the Civilian Climate Corps and we demand that the Congress support and fully fund the program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NAACP will remain involved in the crafting and finalization of the policy language for the Civilian Climate Corps to ensure that it centers equity throughout all aspects of the policy and the program.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that upon creation and implementation of the program the NAACP will monitor the progress of the Civilian Climate Corps in order to hold the program accountable and to ensure that equity is centered in its implementation and that full measures are in place to guarantee that employment opportunities created by this legislation reach Black communities.