Voters nationally support the formation of a national green bank by nearly a 3-to-1 margin as a way to create new jobs in clean energy. This is according to new polling and policy recommendations put forward by the Clean Jumpstart, a joint initiative by Evergreen Action and Data for Progress.
Evergreen Action was formed by leaders from the Jay Inslee presidential campaign to continue advancing the strong climate policies put forward by Governor Inslee. When released, the Governor’s “Evergreen Economy” plan was the first presidential candidate’s platform to include formation of a national green bank.
The Clean Jumpstart plan explains how addressing the unemployment crisis and addressing climate are one in the same. New legislation put forward this week by House Democrats continues Congress’s focus on economic relief. There is no doubt that this is essential, but Clean Jumpstart argues:
“While aid to state, local and tribal governments is much-needed, this package, and the ones that came before it, is yet another missed opportunity to invest in growing the clean energy economy. Such investments are critical to capturing the United States’ best economic opportunity for growth and confront the climate crisis that portends growing harm to the health of American communities.”
This robust set of policy recommendations only reinforces the polling done just last week by the Coalition for Green Capital. That poll found that 4 out 5 voters nationally want Congress to invest in job creation in clean energy. And that 7 out of 10 voters want Congress to deposit $35B into a nonpartisan, nonprofit Clean Energy Jobs Fund to carry out that mission as the nation’s green bank.
Now 36 million workers have been put out of work since the start of the dual health and economic crisis. And consensus is growing that there will be no “snap back” to full employment and economic recovery, possibly for many years.
That means, hopefully sooner rather than later, Congress must get the task of job creation. And now polling from Clean Jumpstart can be added to that from CGC demonstrating the overwhelming support from voters for job creation in clean energy through investment in a national green bank.