Date & Location: 2.12.2021
 Online

[Webinar] Job creation and workforce development for building renovation

How can energy efficiency contribute to creating more and better jobs in multiple sectors of the economy? What are the US and EU existing training opportunities and initiatives greening the job market?

This event has passed. You can find the presentations here and watch the recording of the webinar below.

When: December 2nd, 4:00 – 5.30pm CET | 10:00 – 11:30am EST

Sustainable home renovation brings a benefit-cost ratio of 4:1 , resulting in reduced healthcare costs, obviating energy subsidies, and the creation of local jobs and professional opportunities. In fact, nearly 60% of home renovation expenditure is attributed to labour, making it a key element of job creation post-COVID-19.

Both the new US administration and the European Commission repeatedly point out that an investment in green technology (including refurbishment of the building stock) is a job creator. What are the actual numbers? What kind of jobs are created (high vs. low value jobs)? Which types of jobs are replaced? How sustainable is this job creation? 

The webinar focused on energy efficiency as a jobs multiplier to create more and better jobs in multiple sectors of the economy. Speakers from both sides of the Atlantic discussed training opportunities and initiatives greening the job market.

Join us on December 2nd, to listen to and discuss these important topics and hear from a distinguished panel of speakers regarding energy efficiency and the workforce. 

Agenda:

Session 1: The network of energy efficiency jobs

  • More and better jobs! Energy Efficiency as as jobs multiplier: Gunde Odgaard, Secretary General, BAT-kartellet
  • Green HVACR Career Pathways: John Steele, Senior Director, Government Relations, Johnson Controls
  • Q&A

Session 2: Energy efficiency workforce development

  • Green Buildings Career Map: Madeline Salzman, Workforce Advisor, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, US Department of Energy
  • Skills in construction – energy efficiency and beyond: Roman Horváth, Policy Officer – Sustainable Industrial Policy and Construction, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
  • Q&A

This event is part of a webinar series organised in the framework of the US-EU partnership. The full series includes:

• Webinar 1: Advancing a climate-neutral recovery, June 17th, 2021 (recording available here)
• Webinar 2: How to achieve energy-efficient and affordable housing, 23 September 2021 (recording available here)
• Webinar 3: Finance for energy-efficiency in buildings – the process, 20 October 2021 (recording available here)
• Webinar 4: Job creation and workforce development for building renovation, 2 December 2021
• Webinar 5: Building standards and codes, January 2022 (TBC)

Moderator: Lotte Schlegel, Executive Director, Institute for Market Transformation

Lotte Schlegel is the Executive Director of the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), a national nonprofit organization that is laser-focused on increasing energy efficiency in buildings to save money, drive economic growth, reduce harmful pollution, and tackle climate change. Under her guidance, IMT is a trailblazer in the energy efficiency field, recognized across the globe for accelerating investment in energy-efficient buildings through hands-on guidance, technical and market research, policy and program development, and promotion of best practices.
As IMT’s Executive Director, Lotte guides the organization’s growth and leads the implementation of its multi-year strategic plan. She oversees internal operating systems and processes with an eye on both big-picture vision and tactical execution.
Previously, Lotte worked as the Vice President for Business Development and Operations for an international water and energy efficiency implementation company where she developed market entry strategy, programs, and business opportunities. Prior to that, Lotte served as IMT’s Chief Operating Officer and was an analyst for the Maine Public Utilities Commission, focusing on electric utility rate cases, energy procurement, and electric reliability issues, and helping run a residential energy efficiency and clean energy program. She has also worked in scientific research and conservation.
Lotte first became interested in energy efficiency while living “off grid” and relying exclusively on solar and wind power for water pumping and electricity. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Speakers:

Gunde Odgaard, General Secretary for the Danish Building Trades


Gunde Odgaard is currently the General Secretary for the Danish Building Trades.
It has been so for the past 20 years and in the same period he has been working with the issues of migrant workers, posted workers, social dumping, social frauds and fraudulent behavior within the construction industry.
 
This both in Denmark, where he has been sitting in all government committees on these issues for the past 20 years, but also in the capacity of chairing the Standing Committee Building for the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers and thus being in the leadership of that organization.
 
Gunde Odgaard has a vast experience in the issues concerning the lack of information transferred between government institutions and government agencies concerning the free movement of labour and has again and again spoken out on the need for rapid, real time information being past on from government agency to government agency and past on to the social partners, where it is necessary, in order to keep the collective agreement and working conditions in general.
 
Gunde Odgaard has a degree in political science from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and an MA in economics from the University in Dublin.
 
Gunde has been participating for more than 25 years in european questions and european issues in the EFBWW and Gunde also has a vast experience from Building and Woodworkers Internationals when it comes to labour clauses and migrant workers issues

Madeline Salzman, Workforce Advisor, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, US Department of Energy

Madeline Salzman is a Management and Programs Analyst in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Madeline currently serves as an Advisor on clean energy workforce strategy for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, as well as a Technology Manager for the Building Technologies Office. She joined U.S. DOE in 2015 to support programs that increase access to energy efficient technologies, including through the Home Energy Score Program and Better Buildings Workforce Accelerator. Prior to focusing on clean energy workforce strategy, she led strategic analysis on how to increase affordability of and access to efficiency retrofits in U.S. housing across income groups, regions, and housing types. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Energy, Madeline received her Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and worked on residential efficiency and solar in Missouri, Arkansas, and rural India.

Roman Horváth, Policy Officer, European Commission

Roman Horváth is a policy officer at the DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission. He is part of the competitiveness construction team, dealing with skills, qualifications and occupational health and safety issues in the construction sector.
Roman holds master’s degrees in civil engineering and business management. After a short university career at the Slovak University of Technology he was working eight years at the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic, dealing with EU affaires and EU funded infrastructural projects. In 2007 he joined the European Commission and in 2014 he became part of its competitiveness construction team

John Steele, Senior Director, Government Relations, Johnson Controls

John Steele is Senior Director of Government Relations for Johnson Controls, a global building technology company.  He is responsible for state and local government legislative and regulatory issues in the U.S. 
 
Before joining Johnson Controls, he was Director of State and Local Affairs for the American Beverage Association.  Previous to that position he served as press secretary to numerous members of Congress. 
 
John has degrees in Journalism and Political Science from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
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