During his State of the Union address last week, President Biden discussed the historic, bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which, he suggested, will help the nation “withstand the devastating effects of the climate crisis and promote environmental justice.”

The bill marks an attempt toward accomplishing the president’s dual goals of developing green infrastructure and creating good jobs. The IIJA injects more funding into green infrastructure and not only offers an opportunity to combat the mounting environmental crisis but also holds promise to redress long-standing racial inequities that result from it. Because of racist zoning policies, climate change results in economic losses that disproportionately affect communities of color. Infrastructure investments from the IIJA are estimated to create approximately 2 million new jobs a year, and policymakers can consider targeting the good-paying jobs and job training toward people of color.

But the IIJA isn’t enough to address the climate emergency (PDF) and disparities in job quality for communities of color. Alone, it does not dedicate the requisite funds to prepare workers for the jobs needed to complete the bill’s goals. And Moody’s Analytics projects 80 percent of these jobs will go to white workers, with most going to men.

Policymakers can capitalize on the momentum and funding the IIJA offers by complementing it with climate and workforce policies and programs that focus on equitable hiring and training for high-quality jobs. Here are three evidence-based elements they can consider incorporating.

  1. Skill development for green infrastructure through registered apprenticeships
  2. Build a Civilian Climate Corps using diverse hiring practices
  3. Ensure local, diverse hiring and good jobs in federal infrastructure projects

Read the full article about workforce development by Zach Boren and Jacqueline Rayfield at Urban Institute.