Clean energy shift a chance to ‘raise’ people and the economy, Biden says

From installing solar energy in villages in Sierra Leone to making electric buses for American schools, the clean energy revolution the world needs for a safer future can also bring secure jobs with good wages, a U.S.-led summit heard on Friday.

Hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, the second day of the international climate summit looked at how to develop clean technologies and industries to replace planet-heating fossil fuels, while ensuring prosperity for workers.

“If we can keep the focus on the jobs we’re going to create, the economic opportunity, the growth – and in my country, at least, on union jobs – to provide the ability to raise the economy, raise the GDP, raise every part of who we are – I think this is just an incredible opportunity,” the president said.

One of the first people Biden spoke to on environmental issues as he took office was Lonnie Stephenson, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, he said.

That was “because I am so sick and tired of people talking about how we get this (transition) done and (they) don’t care about jobs”.

Biden has sought to connect efforts to fight climate change with opportunities to create jobs in growth industries like green energy as part of his $2.3 trillion jobs and infrastructure package, which requires approval by Congress.