NWF Gears Up for 2014 Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference

 

Now in its seventh year, the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference will be in Washington, D.C., February 10-11, 2014. As a proud sponsor of the conference, National Wildlife Federation is excited to once again have a strong presence at this year’s conference representing the diverse ways in which we are working to build a clean, green economy that works to address the threats of climate change, creates family-sustaining jobs and protects wildlife for our children’s future. You are welcome to join us at the Youth Caucus on Sunday, the keynote address by NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger on Tuesday, or please stop by our interactive exhibit.  NWF is also hosting several workshops on offshore wind, green workforce development, and more, see below for more details. We hope to see you at the conference!

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Good Jobs Green Jobs Youth Caucus

On Sunday February 9th, just before the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference officially kicks off, there will be a special Youth Caucus event bringing together youth labor, environmental, and social justice leaders from around the country will come together for this day of inspiring workshops and breakout sessions.

The Youth Caucus will help us defy the silos we often find ourselves working under and will focus on repairing America’s infrastructure, building long-term partnerships between labor, environmentalists and people working on social justice issues, and policies that we can jointly promote to address the threat of climate change.

We hope you can join us in this great discussion. RSVP at http://www.greenjobsconference.org/youth.

Climate Change Resiliency and Green Workforce Training Workshop

On Monday 2/10, NWF will host a panel titled, “Climate Change Resiliency and Green Workforce Training”. A green infrastructure requires both training our workforce to create sustainable developments, and ensuring that there is demand for this work. This panel will examine both sides of the coin. First, it will explore the partnership between National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future, as we work to advance the integration of sustainability skills into community colleges, including training efforts in the solar sector. The session will then focus on Global Green USA’s efforts to help East Coast cities rebuild greener and more resiliently following Hurricane Sandy through a series of solar installations that could utilize this new workforce.

U.S. Offshore Wind Energy: Present and Future

On Tuesday 2/11, NWF will host a panel titled, “U.S. Offshore Wind Energy: Present and Future” which will provide an up-to-date assessment of recent offshore wind project developments, new studies in regional job growth potential, and a state-of-play on how policies can drive the offshore wind industry to its fullest potential.

Making Green and Grey Work Together: Complementary Benefits of the Built and Natural Environments

On Tuesday 2/11, NWF will host a panel titled, Making Green and Grey Work Together: Complementary Benefits of the Built and Natural Environments”. As we work to build and shape more resilient communities that can withstand and recover from extreme weather events, we must recognize the key role natural environments can play in helping reduce the devastating effects of these events. This workshop will explore the necessary and beneficial relationship between the built and the natural environments and how integrating elements of healthy ecosystems into efforts to modernize our nation’s infrastructure can increase the overall resiliency of communities across the nation.

NWF Interactive Exhibit

Throughout the conference you’ll be able to find NWF in the exhibit hall with an interactive exhibit showcasing our “Sustainability Skills Matter Greenprint”, which consists of policy recommendations for advancing green workforce development and preparing students for a green economy put forth during a gathering of top thought leaders this past Spring.