ALIGN
ALIGN is a longstanding alliance of labor and community organizations united for a just and sustainable New York. ALIGN works at the intersection of economy, environment, and equity to make change and build movement.
Our model addresses the root causes of economic injustice by forging strategic coalitions, shaping the public debate through strategic communications, and developing policy solutions that make an impact.
Climate Works for All
ALIGN co-leads Climate Works for All, a coalition of labor, community, faith, environmental justice, and climate organizations fighting climate change and inequality in NYC by demanding a Just Transition for workers and Environmental Justice communities. Our campaigns move us towards an equitable economy, a resilient, livable, and healthy climate, and must prioritize justice for low income Black and Brown communities across New York City.
Mission: To decarbonize and make resilient NYC’s building sector while centering workers and environmental justice communities to improve people’s quality of life, health, our environment, and climate.
Coordinating Committee: The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN), NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA)
Coalition Members: 350 BK, 350 NYC, ALIGN, Central Labor Council (CLC), Climate Families NYC, District Council 37, DC-9 Painters IUPAT, El Puente, Heat Cool Smart Brooklyn, Jewish Climate Action Network – NY, Kinetic Communities, Local 3 IBEW, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA), New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), We Stay/Nos Quedamos, People’s Climate Movement – PSC-CUNY, NY, Sierra Club, TREEage, Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB), WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Investing in Green, Healthy Schools with Career Union Jobs
Climate Works for All has assembled a strong coalition of labor unions, students and their families, school staff, and environmental justice groups, united in the fight for Green, Healthy Schools. NYC 3K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school staff deserve safe and healthy workplaces, and Climate Works for All is calling on Mayor Adams to invest in Green, Healthy Schools so all students can breathe clean air and attend school safely — regardless of zip code. The coalition is calling for a sustainable alternative to his austerity budget. Our goal is to electrify and make clean energy upgrades to 500 public school buildings by 2030, prioritizing environmental justice communities and making NYC schools emissions free by 2040.
By retrofitting, electrifying, and upgrading 500 schools by 2030 and all schools by 2040, NYC can:
Save significantly on energy costs
Invest in environmental justice communities, where 70% of schools with the highest ventilation needs are located
Create thousands of green, union jobs
Reduce air pollution, improve ventilation, and improve health including minimizing the spread of COVID-19
Work toward the city’s building decarbonization goals mandated by Local Law 97
Implementing Local Law 97
After five years of organizing, the Climate Works for All coalition achieved a historic climate victory with the passage of the Dirty Buildings legislation in April 2019. This new bill, now Local Law 97, requires large buildings over 25,000 square feet to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
With buildings responsible for 70% of New York City’s emissions, this world-first legislation will have the single most significant impact on reducing the city’s climate pollution to date, and is a critical step to mitigate the threat of climate change in the most vulnerable communities. It will also lead to the creation of over 20,000 direct jobs each year to implement building energy efficiency upgrades and improvements. We are working with our labor partners to ensure that these jobs are accessible to low-income workers of color and women through targeted recruitment, training, and hiring.
