PRESS RELEASE: Youth deliver over 600 job applications for yet-to-exist Youth Climate Corps jobs to Federal Minister for Youth Marci Ien
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30 2023
Toronto, ON – As the global climate COP28 meetings begin in Dubai, young people are mobilizing for climate action here at home. This morning, youth gathered outside the constituency office of federal Minister for Youth Marci Ien to hand-deliver over 600 mock cover letters for a Youth Climate Corps (YCC). The letters capture the aspirations of young people from across the country seeking meaningful work confronting the climate crisis. These youth seek to serve in an exciting government-funded green jobs program.
“A Youth Climate Corps would directly involve thousands of young people in the climate solutions desperately needed in their communities, and at the speed and scale that the emergency demands,” said Bushra Asghar, an organizer with the Youth Climate Corps campaign in Toronto.
“Young people are tired of waiting for an offer from this government, so we’re applying to them directly. In just three months, we have hosted letter-writing parties, canvassed campuses, met with elected officials, and encouraged hundreds of people to apply for jobs that don’t yet exist. Imagine how much we could achieve if our leaders and government were this serious about youth and climate!”
“As a 27 year old living in Toronto I have seen first-hand how the affordability and climate crisis are impacting our mental and physical well-being. The YCC is the inspiring invitation we are fighting for because we deserve meaningful and dignified jobs,” added Asghar. “In addition to the sorely needed acceleration of climate spending and infrastructure, a Youth Climate Corps represents a public option for employment that would give thousands of young people the opportunity to serve their communities while earning humanizing wages.”
Earlier this fall, President Biden announced the creation of an American Climate Corps, starting with 20,000 positions, which were quickly eclipsed by over 40,000 applications. “Once again, Canada is lagging on the creative, ambitious, but tested solutions needed to lower emissions, climate-proof our homes, and drive a new generation of workers into good, green jobs,” added Juan Vargas, an Alberta-based organizer with the Climate Emergency Unit. “This program is popular and a political winner, especially in fossil-fuel dependent provinces where youth are highly alarmed about the future of work.”
Earlier this month, the Climate Emergency Unit released national poll results from an Abacus Data survey showing strong support for a Youth Climate Corps across the country and across political lines. After being given a short description of the program, 78% of Canadians support or can accept the idea. Only 12% oppose it.
The letters delivered today are indicative of a much larger demand. The Abacus poll found a whopping 65% of people aged 18 to 35 would consider enrolling in a YCC for two years, and a remarkable 15% indicated they would “definitely” consider enrolling (representing approximately 1.3 million young Canadians).
“Now that,” said CEU Team Lead Seth Klein, “is a genuine climate emergency mobilization! If that many young people are saying they are ready to serve, then our governments should be signing these folks up as quickly as possible.”
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FOR MEDIA USE (includes descriptions): https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/19itnMjYzEe-6PiHsTM6R27pBO7QloJ8z
If you have any questions regarding this content, please email erin@climateemergencyunit.ca
BACKGROUND
About the Youth Climate Corps campaign
The Youth Climate Corps campaign is calling on federal and provincial governments to launch and fund an ambitious new youth training and employment program, inviting young people to spend two years confronting the climate emergency. As envisioned, the program would be both a call to serve and an opportunity to get trained-up in the skills needed to address the climate crisis over the coming years. It would offer hands-on paid experience to thousands of youth, as they contribute to a just transition away from a fossil fuel-dependent economy. YCC jobs would include: emergency response during extreme weather events; building community and ecological resilience in the face of climate disruptions; and building the climate infrastructure needed to drive down greenhouse gas emissions (renewable energy, home retrofits, and public transit, etc.)
About the Climate Emergency Unit
The Climate Emergency Unit (CEU) is a 5-year initiative to mobilize Canada to confront the climate crisis. The overarching goal of the CEU is to press for the implementation of wartime-scale policies to confront the crisis, like we tackled an earlier existential threat – the rise of fascism during the Second World War. The CEU’s mission is to mobilize Canadians to press politicians to implement climate emergency legislation and policies that dramatically reduce Canada’s GHG emissions to ensure we meet IPCC-compliant targets.
Media Contacts:
Bushra Asghar, bushra@climateemergencyunit.ca
Juan Vargas Alba (available for French media), juan@climateemergencyunit.ca
Emiko Newman, emiko@climateemergencyunit.ca
Seth Klein, seth@climateemergencyunit.ca
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