Climate Emergency Unit News and Blog

Get our blogs sent straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.

Seth Klein Seth Klein

The case for a Youth Climate Corps

By Seth Klein

The climate mobilization in Canada has yet to feel like a grand societal undertaking. Among the bold initiatives that would send such a signal — an audacious Youth Climate Corps. As the world has begun to confront the climate crisis, the last few years have seen a burgeoning of youth leadership. As in WWII, youth are once again mobilizing to secure our collective future. But so far, our governments have failed to create public programs to accept and deploy their energies and talents. A new generation of young people needs a way to meet this moment.

Read More
Guest User Guest User

Three ways Trudeau can catch up with Biden’s ambitious climate agenda

By Cam Fenton, Canada Team Lead for 350.org

Last week, President Joe Biden signed sweeping executive orders on climate change. As expected, the orders reversed a wide range of Trump-era environmental rollbacks, but they didn’t stop there. In both symbol and substance, Biden’s early climate actions have positioned him to potentially emerge as one of the world’s most ambitious political leaders when it comes to climate change. And, it put Canada in a difficult situation, showing just how wide the gap is between what we need to do and what Justin Trudeau is actually doing.

Read More
Guest User Guest User

Canada must adopt an emergency mindset to climate change

By Seth Klein

Since releasing my book, I have frequently been asked, “How do you know when a government gets the emergency?” Here are my four markers for when you know that a government has shifted into emergency mode:

1) It spends what it takes to win;

2) It creates new economic institutions to get the job done;

3) It shifts from voluntary and incentive-based policies to mandatory measures;

4) It tells the truth about the severity of the crisis and communicates a sense of urgency about the measures necessary to combat i

Read More