By Jonah Kurman-Faber / For The Herald
Snohomish County — along with counties statewide — stands to lose thousands of jobs while taking an economic growth hit if the Climate Commitment Act is repealed in November if voters approve Initiative 2117.
A recent study by Greenline Insights revealed that the Climate Commitment Act could overall generate 45,000 new jobs and $9.1 billion in economic growth statewide over the next eight years, which includes more than 4,000 jobs and nearly $740 million in economic growth in Snohomish County alone.
Those astonishing numbers were revealed as the study analyzed more than 1,300 projects statewide, highlighting the CCA’s significant potential as a job creator and economic development driver, both of which would foster local employment and attract investment to Washington.
Since its implementation in 2021, the Climate Commitment Act has aimed to enhance the state’s infrastructure while facilitating the transition to clean energy. To date, it has raised more than $2.3 billion, which is being allocated to key areas such as transportation, housing, clean energy, and agriculture—efforts designed to reduce pollution, create jobs, and bolster community resilience against climate change. The results of Greenline Insights’ study align with national studies that find that climate investments are a win-win for everyone.
The study evaluated local impacts throughout the statae, demonstrating that the benefits are widespread across all regions. In Snohomish County, the Climate Commitment Act is expected to invest more than $530 million into local communities over the next eight years, resulting in nearly 4,000 jobs and $740 million in economic growth. This funding is anticipated to significantly boost employment in vital sectors, including manufacturing, construction, transportation, architecture, and engineering.
Importantly, the study indicates that these projections represent only the minimum benefits for Washington. Government investments attract additional funding from out-of-state sources, including federal funds and private investments. When these factors are considered, the Climate Commitment Act could potentially create up to 21,000 jobs and $4 billion in economic growth specifically for Snohomish County; translating to more than $4,700 in economic growth per resident.
So, what’s the big takeaway? According to the Environmental Defense Fund, “Investing in climate action and clean energy doesn’t just protect the planet; it pays off economically, and on a massive scale. This is the power of the act’s cap-and-invest strategy: by pairing a binding, declining cap on greenhouse has emissions along with a framework to collect revenue from polluters and invest it back into the state, we can jump-start the economy, make communities more resilient to climate impacts, and reduce climate-warming pollution all at the same time.
Overall, the findings suggest that the entire state stands to gain substantially from the Climate Commitment Act in the years ahead, with new jobs, investments, and economic development on the horizon and should preserve it by voting against I-2117. That’s an investment Washington can’t afford to lose.
For further details, you can read the full report on the Greenline Insights’ website at www.greenlineinsights.com/.
Jonah Kurman-Faber is founder and principal of Greenline Insights.
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