Press Release - Readout of Listening Sessions with Labor Leaders and Environmental Leaders

Interior Secretary-designate Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary-designate Jennifer Granholm, EPA Administrator-designate Michael Regan, CEQ chair-designate Brenda Mallory, and incoming White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy held listening sessions Friday with labor leaders and environmental leaders from across the country.

In both listening sessions, the nominees outlined their commitment to helping the country build back better by creating good-paying union jobs, combating climate change, and making historic investments in environmental justice to advance public health and economic opportunity for all.

National leaders of many of the nation's labor unions participated in the first listening session, including General Presidents of roughly ten international unions and senior leadership of the AFL-CIO and North America's Building Trade Unions. The nominees remarked that a union job is often the fastest ticket for workers and families to join the middle class and achieve greater economic security and stability. The nominees reflected on the need to lead the world in clean energy technology and manufacturing while also ensuring we maintain and strengthen labor protections for the workers who help build our country and supply our energy.

In the meeting with environmental leaders, the nominees struck many of the same themes they covered in the earlier union meeting: they underscored President-elect Biden's view that confronting the climate crisis presents an unprecedented economic opportunity to create good-paying union jobs, power the country with clean energy, and create healthier and more prosperous communities. The nominees also discussed President-elect Biden's commitment to ensure that at least 40 percent of the Administration's clean energy investments benefit communities that have been disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental injustices, and affirmed their commitment to conserve the nation's lands, waters, and wildlife for the benefit of all Americans.