Green for All is an NGO

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 "working to build an inclusive green economy

Green economy

A green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities - United Nations Environment Programme...

 strong enough to lift people out of poverty." Based in Oakland, California, Green For All advocates for a clean energy economy as a solution to both environmental and economic problems. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is an American sustainability advocate and the CEO of the anti-poverty organization Green For All."From 2003 to 2009, Ellis-Lamkins was the Executive Officer of the South Bay AFL–CIO Labor Council, an organized labor federation representing more than 100 unions and more than...

 is the CEO of Green For All. Green For All advocates not only for "green" economic investments, but for investments whose benefits will flow to low-income communities and communities of color in the United States.

Programs

Green For All "builds new coalitions that leverage public and private investment to create quality green jobs." It aims to build a green economy that "closes the gaps in income, wealth, health, security and opportunity across the U.S." while "play[ing] a leading role in building a popular movement for a strong, fair, green economy."

To this end, Green For All has several distinct programs (though these programs support one another in service to the organizational mission).

The Academy

The Green For All Academy is a leadership-development program designed to "expand, educate and engage the base of support" for a clean-energy economy in the United States. The Academy trains leaders from low-income communities and communities of color to "communicate the promise of the green economy — and take action to realize that promise."

Green For All's Cities Initiative

Since it first launched, Green For All has been providing local clean-energy advocates, activists and practitioners with technical assistance. Drawing on lessons from that experience, Green For All is now making a concerted effort "to help specific cities build strong, local clean energy economies with Recovery Act funds /--/ [and] become models for every other city in the country." This Cities Initiative is built around Green For All's strong partnerships with local organizations in each of its target cities.

Communities of Practice

The Green For All Communities of Practice are networks of people who are working throughout the country on programs and policies to address climate change and create pathways out of poverty through green-collar jobs. Participants "connect to each other, innovate together, and share their learning with the entire field." These Communities of Practice are organized around particular themes. Currently, Green For All is leading two: the "Green Pathways Out of Poverty" Community (focused on green job training programs) and the "Retrofit America's Cities" Community (focused on programs designed to perform energy-efficiency retrofits at a city-wide scale).

The Green For All Policy Team

Green For All's Policy Team develops and advocates for "public policies that will create quality jobs, improve the reach and effectiveness of job training, and expand entrepreneurial opportunities in the emerging green economy — especially for people from disadvantaged communities." It works at the federal, state and local levels.

Capital Access Program

The Capital Access Program, focused on the private sector, "engages businesses and nonprofits - large and small - to create, sustain, and scale green jobs." The Capital Access Program aims to leverage the work of other Green For All programs "to build the capacity of stakeholders and mobilize capital so that [Green For All's] advocacy leads to real economic recovery and environmental restoration."

Green The Block

Green For All and Hip Hop Caucus came together to launch Green the Block, "a national campaign and coalition aimed at helping low-income communities of color become driving forces of the clean-energy economy." The four pillars of Green the Block's strategy are Education and Awareness, Grassroots Advocacy, Youth Activism and Private Sector Development.

Green Jobs Act of 2007

Green For All advocated for the Green Jobs Act of 2007, and helped pass it through Congress. The Green Jobs Act became Title X of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which President George W. Bush signed into law in late 2007. The Green Jobs Act authorizes $125 million per year for

an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of industries – including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing that produces sustainable products and uses sustainable processes and materials. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating "green pathways out of poverty."

Federal climate and clean energy bill

Green For All has been an active advocate in the debate for a federal climate and energy bill in the United States. Green For All was instrumental in getting the House of Representatives to include two "equity provisions" in its version of such legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. According to Green For All CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, these provisions create "opportunity for communities that too often languish at the margins of American prosperity."

The first "equity provision" is the allocation of $860 million to the Green Jobs Act. This measure will provide training to workers who need new skills for clean energy jobs - training that can be the first step on a pathway from poverty to a steady green career.

The second "equity provision" secures local access to quality jobs through the creation of a green-construction, careers-demonstration program. Representative Bobby Rush authored this amendment, which will promote middle-class careers and quality employment practices in the green construction sector. This program will empower the Secretaries of Labor and Energy to ensure that these green construction jobs are good jobs, and are accessible to low-income communities and local workers.

Green For All is currently working to secure similar provisions in the Senate version of the bill.

State-level legislation

Green For All is also active in various states, advocating for state-level green jobs legislation. Green For All "advis[es] state-level policymakers on their green jobs and energy efficiency initiatives" and "bring[s] policymakers together with environmental and social justice advocates, ensuring they have access to the best thinking from these important communities." Green For All has been a key advocate in shaping green jobs legislation in Washington State, New Mexico, Texas and Pennsylvania.

Launch

Van Jones officially launched Green for All at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2007. Green For All grew out of Jones's work at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, where he started the Green-Collar Jobs Campaign to advocate for clean-energy and energy-efficiency jobs both regionally in the San Francisco Bay Area and statewide throughout California.

New leadership

Jones left Green For All in March 2009 to become the Special Advisor on Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. When he left, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins took over Green For All as Chief Executive Officer. Along with this change in leadership came a change in focus "from inspiration to implementation." Whereas Green For All began by trying to inspire people with the idea of a green economy, it now set itself of "turning that idea into reality." Green For All chose Ellis-Lamkins in part because of her wealth of experience in such nuts-and-bolts economic development as the head of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and Working Partnerships USA.