Climate Summit Holds Promise of Jobs

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By: Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Last week’s Climate Leaders Summit emphasized fighting climate change as an economic opportunity, and state leaders say that means investments and jobs in Pennsylvania.

At the conclusion of the virtual summit of more than three dozen world leaders, President Joe Biden stressed the massive investments necessary to fight climate change will help restore an economy ravaged by COVID-19 and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., pointed out in an online news conference Biden’s American Jobs Plan (AJP) calls for investments and tax credits that could create many of those jobs in Pennsylvania.

“By manufacturing electric cars, electrifying public transit vehicles, and paving the way for a clean energy economy, that creates jobs while fighting climate change,” Wild contended.

Biden’s plan faces stiff opposition from congressional Republicans who object to paying for much of the needed investments by raising taxes on corporations.

Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, noted the fight against climate change is critical to preventing the kind of damage that is becoming more common around the country every year.

“We’re talking about $56 billion dollars in repairs that are necessary as we respond to the floods and the hurricanes and these intensified weather events that are connected to climate change,” Kenyatta outlined.

Pennsylvania has experienced 37 extreme weather events in the past ten years.

The AJP calls for improving the resilience of infrastructure and supporting communities as they recover from disasters.

Wild believes the investments called for by the AJP have the potential to create a more just and cleaner future for generations to come.

“Now it is critical that we go all in on investing boldly in the clean energy jobs of the future, and modern infrastructure that will mitigate the worst of the climate crisis,” Wild argued.