Green Jobs Strategy Report Summary

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Existing Conditions
• Climate Change & Resource Scarcity
• Green Economy
• Green Job Estimates
• Green Job Outlook
• Programs, Regulations, & Incentives
• Challenges and Opportunities
• Recommended Indicators
• Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
• Conclusion
• Appendices
• References

Environmental, national security and, most recently, job creation goals have converged to generate strong public interest, political support and an array of new policies and incentives to support green energy, energy efficiency, and waste reduction. This report examines the potential of these new policies and incentives to create jobs and private-sector investment in the Chicago region.

Although the green movement in the nation and the region is still emerging, the Chicago region is already well positioned in the movement with some unique competitive advantages. Chicago has placed well in some national rankings of cities, including a 6th place ranking in a recent green jobs report by the United States Conference of Mayors.

Opportunities for the greatest economic growth in the next decade are in emerging green industries that are building on existing capacity in the region, such as manufacturing of components for wind turbines or solar panels by metal manufacturers who are already producing similar products. And as North America's freight hub, the Chicago region is positioned to play a major role in the growth of the freight industry, and has the opportunity to also provide leadership in the "greening" of this key existing—and ever-growing—industry.

A sample of findings:

Green Job Outlook for the Chicago Region:

• The United States Conference of Mayors report predicts substantial growth (to more than 127,000 jobs) for the Chicago metro region in the next 30 years (by 2038) provided that policies relating to carbon reduction and energy efficiency are adopted and implemented widely.

Building on Existing Capacity:

• Opportunities for the greatest economic growth in the next decade are in emerging green industries that are building on existing capacity in the region. A recent analysis revealed that 1,194 companies in the seven-county region already create parts needed for wind turbines, and 680 companies create parts for solar panels. Mining the pool of these thousands of potential equipment suppliers in the region is a major opportunity for the region. A few groups in the region are already beginning to survey potential suppliers in this field.

This report, prepared by the Delta Redevelopment Institute, includes goals, objectives and strategies that can serve as a framework for a regional green economic development plan.

If you're interested in learning more about green jobs, please download the following CMAP strategy report. Comments and criticisms are encouraged.

Photo by Zol87 from ourExplore Northeastern Illinois Flickr Pool.