Climate Change

Can Biden’s new jobs program to fight climate change attract women and people of color?

The American Climate Corps program aims to recruit a diverse workforce. But it will face challenges including low pay, the need for child care, and historic discrimination against women in the trades.

  • Jessica Kutz  , The 19th

New rule cements sustainability mandate for federal buyers

A new update to the Federal Acquisition Regulation is meant to help the government meet goals for net-zero procurement by 2050.

  • Natalie Alms

Biden announces first tranche of Climate Corps jobs with hopes of segueing thousands into federal service

Participants can leverage their experience into federal internships and jobs.

  • Eric Katz

BLM to finalize rule allowing federal leases targeted at protection of natural areas

The rule marks a shift in the agency’s focus toward conservation.

  • Jacob Fischler, States Newsroom

Biden’s environmental justice scorecard offers more questions than answers

The White House's own environmental justice progress report gives little insight into the green benefits delivered to disadvantaged communities.

  • Naveena Sadasivam, Grist

Nuclear regulators should weigh climate change risk to power plants, report says

A GAO report found the Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs to factor more risk from the impact of more extreme natural events in how it licenses the safety of power plants. 

  • Carten Cordell

“It feels impossible to stay”: The U.S. needs wildland firefighters more than ever, but the federal government is losing them

Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much.

  • Abe Streep, ProPublica

Lawmakers, employee groups call for a permanent increase in federal firefighter pay

Under current measures implemented by the Biden administration, federal wildland firefighters will face yet another “pay cliff” this fall.

  • Erich Wagner

Congress' minibus spending deal could potentially avert firefighter pay cliff

Lawmakers have until Friday evening to pass the first of two spending packages that will run until Sept. 30.

  • Erich Wagner

‘Unprecedented’ indictment of federal firefighter leads employees to question their liabilities

A workforce is panicking after a local sheriff arrested a federal supervisor doing his job.

  • Eric Katz

Federal permitting hampers climate goals and natural disaster mitigation, counties say

Officials, who are calling for reforms, say environmental regulations shouldn’t lead to yearslong waits to build transmission lines or impede their ability to respond to natural disasters.

  • Kery Murakami

Biden administration preps potential largest ever federal carbon-free electricity purchase

New efforts are part of an aggressive timeline for agencies to reduce their emissions.

  • Eric Katz

Want to work for the EPA? The agency is preparing for a substantial hiring push in 2024

The agency is leaning on a twin set of climate-related bills to restore its workforce.

  • Eric Katz
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Cost-cutting measures will coincide with new goals to slash emissions, USPS says

The Postal Service has laid out new plans to cut its carbon footprint significantly by 2030.

  • Eric Katz

As summers grow ever hotter, OSHA appears ready to protect workers

A new rule from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration could for the first time provide federal protection to heat exposure and require companies to invest in employees’ well-being during the hottest parts of the year. Many in the construction and agriculture industries are opposed, but new research shows it would help them, too.

  • Katie Myers, Grist

Seven agencies join forces in hopes of quickly implementing Biden's Climate Corps initiative

Many details of the program still must be sorted, though the Biden administration is promising 20,000 participants will be enrolled by the summer and receive a suite of benefits.

  • Eric Katz

Biden to require feds to take public transit, other ‘green’ options when traveling

Federal employees should also consider bike sharing or not traveling at all under new guidance.

  • Eric Katz

A new rule may help land management temps get permanent federal gigs

The Office of Personnel Management is set to publish final regulations establishing a pathway for current and former temporary workers at land management agencies to apply for permanent posts through merit promotions procedures.

  • Erich Wagner

State workers fear federal grants won’t reach many disadvantaged communities

Amid historic federal investment in climate and environmental initiatives, employees tasked with distributing federal grants say they are overwhelmed and don’t have the bandwidth to ensure underresourced communities get the help they need.

  • Kery Murakami

Still concerned about the Dakota Access pipeline? The feds are asking for comment, 7 years later.

The controversial pipeline near Standing Rock united the climate movement. Now regulators want the public to weigh in on the project’s environmental impact.

  • Anita Hofschneider, Grist

Good aims to defund White House’s climate jobs initiative in new bill

The Virginia representative offered new legislation Friday that would prevent the Biden administration from using federal appropriations to fund its planned 20,000-person climate workforce initiative.

  • Carten Cordell