NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, and Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYCTalent) Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal has announced the release of the green economy action plan — a first-of-its-kind plan that lays out a roadmap to growing the city’s green economy.
The plan invests in jobs and sectors that will help the city combat climate change, and train and position New Yorkers — particularly those from environmentally-disadvantaged communities — to benefit from the nearly 400,000 projected ‘green-collar’ jobs in New York City by 2040.
Critical to this plan is the creation of a new “climate innovation hub” at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, which will help grow green technology startups and businesses, and which will be joined together with the Trust for Governors Island and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation to create a green economy ecosystem across three campuses that will support 5,000 new permanent jobs, educate and train 2,100 New Yorkers, and generate $55 billion of economic impact.
The green economy action plan GEAP delivers on another promise in Mayor Adams’ State of the City address, and builds on his commitment to invest in future-focused industries and create a “harbor of the future” with job and innovation hubs along the East River.
“Our city didn’t recover the nearly 1 million jobs we lost during the pandemic and reach a new private-sector job high by looking backward — we did it by building an economy of the future. And we must draw on all our resources to protect our city from the effects of climate change,” said Mayor Adams.
“From building resiliency projects and retrofitting apartment buildings, to installing solar panels, EV charging stations, and wind turbines, ‘green-collar’ jobs are already in demand and leading the way. Our Green Economy Action Plan will harness the growth of a new kind of industrial revolution and give New Yorkers the tools they need to build a resilient and prosperous city and thrive in our future-focused economy.”
GEAP delivers the first forecasting of New York City’s green economy and job growth through 2040.
New York City’s green economy will host nearly 400,000 jobs by 2040 — up from 133,000 today — as it becomes the anchor of a prosperous, equitable, and just future for New Yorkers, while it simultaneously advances the city’s ambitious goals to reduce the city’s threats due to climate change. The plan identifies key occupations that are essential to growing the green economy and highlights 21 occupations that provide pathways to economic mobility, many of which do not require higher education degrees.
“The Green Economy Action Plan is an integrated talent and economic development strategy for the five boroughs and another example of the Adams administration’s work connecting New Yorkers to family-sustaining jobs, spurring inclusive economic activity in high-growth sectors and marshaling a coordinated, citywide response to climate change,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic, and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer.
“Treating the climate change crisis with the urgency it requires doesn’t just support our infrastructure but our economy too, with good, ‘green-collar’ jobs for New Yorkers with diverse educations and histories,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “As unusual weather events become all too usual, we all have a role to play in protecting our city. Our city is creating the framework so that everyone can get involved.”
“This first-of-its-kind plan lays out a series of commitments and strategies that will bolster economic growth, create thousands of jobs, encourage public-private partnerships, and ensure a just transition to a green economy that all New Yorkers can contribute to and benefit from,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Kimball.
“There is no better location for innovation than at the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, located on the waterfront in the heart of Sunset Park, which is turning into a center for clean tech innovation and manufacturing. Climate tech growth at the Brooklyn Army Terminal will be further catalyzed by the establishment of the Climate Innovation Hub and through a unique partnership with the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Trust for Governors Island, known as the Harbor Climate Collaborative. Collectively, these three remarkable city assets, all connected by a short NYC Ferry ride, will be at the forefront of climate innovation, commercialization, and workforce development for decades to come.”
“By co-authoring the Green Economy Action Plan, we wrote the roadmap for an historic opportunity to tackle the climate crisis, create jobs, and drive economic mobility, while positioning New York City as a global leader in the green economy,” said NYC Talent Executive Director Sigal.
“The plan represents the city’s commitment to concrete strategies to ensure that all New Yorkers contribute to and benefit from our city’s growth and prosperity.”
“The Brooklyn Navy Yard is proud to be an integral partner in making New York a global destination for climate adaptation and technology development and production, and to further build on the growing community of climate solutions companies already thriving at the Yard,” said Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation President and CEO Lindsay Greene.
“New York City is uniquely positioned to take on this challenge, and through strategic investments in promising climate tech, we can benefit from the silver lining that is a flourishing green economy that propels New Yorkers into sustainable career paths.”
“Preparing our city for climate change will require transformative collaboration and opportunities to rapidly scale solutions that benefit all New Yorkers, and the Green Economy Action Plan outlines a necessary roadmap,” said Trust for Governors Island President and CEO Clare Newman.
“Governors Island is an exciting platform for a growing ecosystem of partners, including the New York Climate Exchange, that are advancing research, education, training, and public programs, and we’re proud to join our colleagues in furthering New York City ‘s role as a global leader in developing equitable solutions to climate change.”
“Reducing our contributions to climate change and building the infrastructure that will make us more resilient to extreme weather represents an historic opportunity to grow and broaden our economy and workforce,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala.
“As laid out in ‘PlaNYC,’ with the proper planning and guidance, we can help ensure that all New Yorkers are able to benefit from this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
“As New York City makes historic investments in climate, it’s imperative that we bring everyone along,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “Environmental justice and workforce champions know that we now have to do the hard work of making these job opportunities real for everyday New Yorkers.
Through a Request for Proposal to be released on March 18, 2024, NYCEDC will seek an operator for its new Climate Innovation Hub at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Potential partners can learn more about the vision for the hub and complete a partner form to register interest.
The Green Economy Action Plan deliver on a key commitment in Mayor Adams’ “PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done” plan, New York’s long-term strategic climate plan. The Green Economy Action Plan also builds on decades-long work led by advocacy environmental groups, including UPROSE, whose Green Resilient Industrial District (GRID) Plan and ‘The GRID 2.0” provide a comprehensive, community-led path to decarbonize Sunset Park and ensure a just transition towards a greener and cleaner future.
“The Green Economy Action Plan demonstrates our administration’s commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers can contribute to and benefit from a resilient and strong New York City,” said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie.
“We are proud to be part of a city investing in climate-resilient systems and solutions, including sustainable food distribution, production, consumption, and disposal. The plan lays out how we can continue to engage the private sector in meeting our ambitious climate goals through the city’s Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, work towards decarbonization of food distribution, and support sustainable food businesses and practices.”
“The Green Economy Action Plan is truly a win-win for New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. “By creating good-paying green industry jobs and bolstering energy-efficient tech throughout the five boroughs, we’re keeping our city on the cutting edge of innovation and a more sustainable path. Thanks to policies like this and ‘City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality,’ we’re well on our way to a greener, healthier, more prosperous future.”
“Realizing a more sustainable and equitable transportation future entails dedicated investments in environmentally friendly initiatives and infrastructure throughout all five boroughs,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “DOT is proud to contribute to the Green Economy Action Plan, including through our green freight, electric vehicle charging, and shared mobility programming, which foster green job opportunities for New Yorkers and propel the city towards achieving ambitious climate action goals.”
“Today marks a pivotal moment in our city’s commitment toward building a more sustainable future for all New Yorkers. With the unveiling of the Green Economy Action Plan, we are not only making strides toward combating the impacts of climate change, but we are also laying the foundation for equitable economic growth,” said New York City’s Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “The Climate Innovation Hub at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, in particular, will help foster green technology startups, which are going to be critical as larger property owners work to reduce carbon emissions from their buildings.”
“The future of New York’s economy and of American jobs is in green infrastructure,” said U.S. Representative Dan Goldman. “I’m thrilled to see our city preparing for and embracing this green energy future by investing in jobs that will help our city combat climate change and mitigate future extreme weather events. While we must ensure that community voices are front and center while this plan is implemented, this critically important investment and training will ensure that our economy is competitive and prepared for years to come.”
“The historic Green Economy Action Plan is the roadmap to an economy laser-focused on sustainability, resilience, and financial empowerment. This first-of-its-kind plan utilizes a $100 million investment in the ‘Climate Innovation Hub’ at Brooklyn Army Terminal to create thousands of jobs and apprenticeships in fields that tackle climate change head-on,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar.
“It will supercharge our economy, producing 400,000 green collar jobs and generating an economic impact of $55 billion. It puts us on the path to New York City becoming the leader in green collar jobs and the green economy of the future.”
“We must do everything in our power to reverse the impact of climate change on our planet. The time for half measures is over,” said New York State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “I’m encouraged to see that New York City is taking bold action to grow the city’s green economy and invest in green jobs, especially at centers of innovation like the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Thanks to Mayor Adams for his commitment to protecting our planet for future generations.”
“The green economy has the potential to be a major new engine of middle-class job growth in New York City, so it’s great to see this comprehensive plan to help the city take full advantage of this opportunity and ensure that a large share of the new jobs go to New Yorkers from environmentally-disadvantaged communities,” said Jonathan Bowles, executive director, Center for an Urban Future. “Mayor Adams, NYCEDC, and NYCTalent deserve a lot of credit for getting ahead of this emerging part of the city’s economy and building career pipelines for New Yorkers from low-income backgrounds into the well-paying green jobs that will be created.”
The plan includes establishing a climate innovation hub, creating green training facilities in every Borough, activating a harbor climate collaborative, activating public sites for electric vehicle (EV) charging and creating tax incentives for battery storage.
