- Lawmakers, Real Estate Industry Told Training Needed - NEW YORK, July 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Summit on "Green Jobs," 32BJ SEIU President Mike Fishman called on lawmakers around the country to prioritize buildings in their green strategies because buildings account for 60% of the country's total energy consumption and generate 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions. "The real estate industry should take the lead in reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy," said Mike Fishman. "Passing strong Green legislation that mandates such reductions will make our cities cleaner and our environment safer." In his presentation, Fishman emphasized the need for training and apprenticeship programs to ensure that building service workers can run their buildings more efficiently by saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He also stressed the need to create pathways out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class. "The new green workforce is going to come out of retraining," said Fishman. "Training is the best way to ensure that our buildings are more efficient and building workers have the skills they need to do the job. Just as importantly, newly created green jobs must pay livable wages."
