Source: Seattle Office of Economic Development, Jan 23, 2020
The Office of Economic Development (OED) is implementing an Inclusive Economy Agenda. This mission rests on three OED competencies to serve underserved populations: building self sufficiency and improving access to employment, family-wage job and wealth creation, and capacity-building for neighborhood resilience in the face of displacement. These three competencies, in turn, are reflected in various office programs: workforce development and training, small business support and technical assistance, industry cluster development, and neighborhood business district support.
Seattle’s leadership is committed to move beyond incremental change and fundamentally reshape our building and transportation systems for a fossil fuel-free future which will effect current and future employers and employees. Recent commitments include:
• The Mayor’s Green New Deal (Executive Order #2020-01) requires the City to engage with local businesses, workforce development organizations, and the labor community to identify and strengthen pathways to economic opportunity for those workers most impacted by the transition to a clean economy and to ensure workers are well matched to jobs created by emerging clean industries.
• Resolution 31895, adopted by the City Council in August 2019, established a goal of making Seattle climate pollution-free by 2030, and committed the City to ensuring a just transition for workers whose jobs currently depend on the fossil fuel industry.
• Starting in September 2020, residential heating oil in Seattle is subject to a tax which may affect the heating oil industry as well as open doors to an increase of residential electric HVAC installations and thus, create more green jobs.
• The Washington State legislature recently enacted a bill that requires commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and greater to meet energy reduction targets and upgrade their buildings with energy-saving equipment. Additionally, Seattle’s Building Tune-Up Mandate requires that operation and maintenance work be completed to achieve energy efficiency.