VATICAN CITY (WBZ NewsRadio) — Gov. Maura Healey announced the launch of the Climate Careers Fund at the Vatican Climate Summit on Wednesday to support workforce training climate efforts.
From May 15 to 17, experts and leaders from around the world are meeting at the Vatican to discuss and share ideas about the climate crisis and how to address it.
The Massachusetts governor was one of the governmental leaders invited to give their own speeches and presentations about how their region is managing climate change.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was also in attendance at Session I at the Vatican Climate Summit on Wednesday.
During her keynote address, Healey shared the details of the new Climate Careers Fund pilot, which aims to use $10 million to create training programs for education and workforce programs that will prepare workers for good-paying, in-demand skilled climate jobs.
The fund is part of the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving Net Zero by 2050.
“To do that, we’re going to need a number of well-trained and well-paid workers, because the heroes of this revolution will be the electricians, train operators, heat pump installers, wind turbine technicians, and much more,” said Healey during her speech at the Vatican Climate Summit.
Massachusetts needs to train an additional 34,000 workers for climate sector jobs by 2030 to reach its Net Zero goal.
“We’ve been working with our schools, with our colleges, with our unions, and with employers to create new pathways into climate careers," said Healey.
The Climate Careers Fund is a collaboration with Social Finance — a national nonprofit and registered investment advisor headquartered in Boston — and the fund “will grow and support a workforce that is training in climate technologies" by offering loans to help participants access and succeed in high-quality training programs.
Healey explained how economic growth and sustainability go hand-in-hand. “We don’t have to choose between a healthy economy and climate protection. We know that climate change threatens our insurance and our real estate markets, our financial systems. So climate protection is an essential element to a healthy economy.”
She also shared how the pilot program “will enable, importantly, more women, more people of color, more low-income residents to participate in this clean energy economy and revolution in our state.”
The Climate Careers Fund is a collaboration by public, private, and nonprofit partners, and Social Finance will manage the fund for impact over time, said the Governor’s Office.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.
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