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Calling on the City Council of Philadelphia to adopt the LOCAL GOVERNMENT GREEN JOBS PLEDGE.
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Calling on the City Council of Philadelphia to adopt the LOCAL GOVERNMENT GREEN JOBS PLEDGE.
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WHEREAS, The Local Government Green Jobs Pledge asks local governments across the United States to support the economic, environmental and social opportunities offered by building an inclusive green economy of high quality jobs and a thriving green-collar workforce; and
WHEREAS, The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates that unemployment is on the rise in Philadelphia with 46,500 Philadelphians unemployed as of July 2008, as compared to 40,000 unemployed persons in July of the previous year; and
WHEREAS, The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates that job creation is stagnant in Philadelphia with 1,100 fewer jobs in July of 2008 as compared to the previous year; and
WHEREAS, The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that across the country real wages of nonsupervisory employees in the construction, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities industries were on average 3% lower in July of 2008 than the previous year; and
WHEREAS, The Blue Green Alliance identifies 553,000 Pennsylvanian jobs as having job growth or wage increase potential by implementing strategies to reduce global warming; and
WHEREAS, Recent research by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) indicates that the Greater Philadelphia Region ranks high against peer regions in its potential to be a center for the emerging Green economic sector, and that this sector was identified in DVRPC's "Post-Global Economic Development Strategy" as critical to our region's future economic success; and
WHEREAS, With the passage of Resolution 080266, this Council has expressed its desire to promote the proliferation of green jobs and encourage job-training organizations to partner with employers that specialize in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects; and
WHEREAS, Green jobs rebuild a strong middle class and provide pathways out of poverty by enabling low-income earners to take the first step toward economic self-sufficiency; and
WHEREAS, Green jobs benefit Philadelphia by reducing poverty, pollution, and the effects of global warming and contribute to making a more sustainable and energy efficient city, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, THAT we call on the City of Philadelphia to do the following:
1. Focus on green-collar jobs as a central strategy for advancing environmental, economic, and climate protection goals. Green-collar jobs:
(A) Provide pathways to prosperity for all workers;
(B) Offer competitive salaries and lead to a lasting career-track, thereby strengthening the U.S. middle class;
(C) Emphasize community-based investments that cannot be outsourced;
(D) Contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality.
2. Grow an inclusive sustainable economy that creates green-collar jobs that:
(A) Strengthen and make further progress on our stated commitment to improving the environment in ways that grow both the green economy and green-collar jobs locally;
(B) Build on climate and environmental commitments to create market demand for green products, services, and skilled workers and create more prosperous local economies;
(C) Catalyze green-collar job creation and training by supporting policies that drive public and private investment in an inclusive local green economy; and
(D) Develop education and job training programs that improve social equity and provide pathways out of poverty for our residents while strengthening our middle class by equipping workers for high demand jobs in the green economy.
3. Execute tangible actions that place priority on building an inclusive green economy that will:
(A) Involve our communities in developing and enacting green-collar jobs
initiatives;
(B) Drive accountability and resolve to continuously improve and strengthen our efforts to invest in climate solutions that create economic opportunity and build sustainable communities;
(B) Provide accessible leadership that is responsive to our communities as we evolve the green economy;
(C) Use the purchasing power of our local governments to create markets for renewable energy, energy efficiency and other green industries; and
(D) Invest new local government resources in programs and initiatives that build an inclusive green economy, while leveraging and aligning existing public resources, and private sources of capital and finance, towards these same goals.
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