Hi John,

After a brief hiatus, we’ve returned just in time to wrap up Earth Week.
 
President Biden made bold commitments yesterday at the Leaders Summit on Climate, where he pledged to cut carbon emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. However, the main theme of the climate summit was repeatedly jobs: President Biden, alongside Special Climate Envoy John Kerry, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy,  and members of his Cabinet, including Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, reiterated that climate action is synonymous with job creation. They delivered this message in tandem with an emphasis on President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, reminding us that the plan will rebuild America’s infrastructure, spur technological innovation, uplift the country’s economy, and create thousands of good-paying jobs in every region of the country, all while reducing carbon pollution.

EARTH DAY

Yesterday, we celebrated the 51st annual Earth Day, recognizing an incredible movement that has traveled a long journey since the inaugural Earth Day in 1970.

This year, nearly 100 days into President Biden’s administration, we’re a lot more hopeful. We’re glad the president knows that addressing climate change creates an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize America’s workforce and create millions of good-paying jobs across the country. Now is the time to be bold in the investments we make in our clean energy economy.

Read our full statement on Earth Day from Josh Freed, Third Way’s Senior Vice President of Climate and Energy.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT CLEAN ENERGY INNOVATION

We know that one critical component of our transition to a clean energy economy is renewed investment in clean energy innovation. Technological advancements in clean energy technologies and infrastructure are imperative to successfully decarbonize our economy, but they’re only possible with robust federal funding for the research, development, and demonstration projects that produce such advancements. 
 
However, recent polling has found that voters do not associate these investments with local economic opportunity or job growth. References solely to “clean energy innovation” are vague and fail to connect to jobs and economic development in local communities.
 
So how can we talk about clean energy innovation in a way that resonates with voters and educates them on the way federal investment in clean energy technologies will support their neighborhoods? We break it down in a new memo that serves as a helpful communicator’s guide to talking about clean energy innovation.

TIPS:

• Focus on the job benefits and local economic development benefits to make clean energy innovation compelling and resonant for people who do not work in the sector. 
• Find projects at the local or state level delivering economic benefits to the surrounding community, and cite district- or state-specific case studies, data, and anecdotes instead of national statistics.
• Take an active role in spreading positive stories about clean energy innovation by routinely engaging press, researchers, manufacturers, and local leaders on the importance of clean energy innovation in their communities, and identify validators who will be able to amplify your messaging.
• Talk about the physical implications of clean energy investment: Infrastructure projects like buildings, appliances, powerlines, and manufacturing facilities, which American voters see and interact with every day, carry a more recognizable community impact of federal investment. 

READ: How to Talk About Clean Energy Innovation

Last, as we wrap up Climate Week, we are reflecting on the progress that the White House has made so far and are hopeful for the future, as the American Jobs Plan represents a historic investment in American jobs and infrastructure in a way that accelerates the clean energy transition while tackling racial and social justice.
 
That’s why we’re launching our first Fastest Path To Zero event of the year with a virtual discussion to examine President Biden’s first 100 days in office and how the American Jobs Plan could mark a critical turning point for American workers and our ability to lead on innovation and transition to a clean energy economy.  
 
We have a remarkable lineup of speakers and panelists, including US Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Suzan DelBene (D-WA), who will discuss how the American Jobs Plan could advance and how its policies would expand clean energy infrastructure while tackling racial equity and creating millions of jobs for American workers.
 
The panel discussion will be moderated by Ella Nilsen, White House reporter at Vox. We hope to see you there!
 
REGISTER HERE