The Clean Energy Future: Protecting the Climate, Creating Jobs and Saving Money

Labor Network for Sustainability
Environment, Economics and Society Institute
Chorus Foundation
Project completed December 2015

Synapse, the Labor Network for Sustainability, and 350.org prepared a report that lays out a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, and refutes claims that achieving these targets will threaten jobs and the U.S. economy. In fact, analysis suggests that the plan will save $78 billion in costs of electricity, heating, and transportation from now through 2050 and will create more than 500,000 jobs per year compared to business as usual. By expanding renewable energy and energy efficiency, phasing out all coal-fired power by 2050, and decreasing natural gas capacity, along with modest changes in other sectors, the United States could reach or surpass the 80 percent reduction target while creating new jobs and saving money.

The series of published reports can be found at http://climatejobs.labor4sustainability.org/.