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March 2, 2009
Manufacturing Climate Solutions was commissioned by five sponsors: Environmental Defense Fund, the Building and Construction Trades Department (AFL-CIO), Industrial Union Council (AFL-CIO), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, and United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters. The research focused on LED lighting, high-performance windows, auxiliary power units for trucks, concentrating solar power plants, and super soil systems (which treat hog wastes).
On March 2, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) held a briefing on the significant potential for US job creation presented by low-carbon technology supply chains. Technologies that reduce carbon emissions represent a potential win-win solution to the urgent challenges posed by the financial crisis and by climate change. Numerous studies are suggesting that with policies that support the burgeoning energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, the United States can take a leadership role in the global economy and create millions of “green jobs,” especially in the manufacturing and construction sectors.
This briefing focused on a new report – Manufacturing Climate Solutions – prepared by the Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness at Duke University. The report analyzed five carbon-reducing technologies, broke them down into materials and components, mapped out the locations of companies in the supply chain, and identified their impact on US job opportunities. Representatives from four companies working in the fields of renewable energy and/or energy efficiency discussed job growth potential from their business perspectives.