We are a part of the movement calling for a national Youth Climate Corps.
A federally funded job training and placement program that would offer a good, green job to any young person who wants one.
No one would be turned away.
We should all have access to a good, green job.
As young people, we’re acutely aware that we’ve grown up in a unique time in history… but the truth is, we’re sick of living through unprecedented times.
The climate emergency and growing economic crises impact our mental health in extreme ways. Food prices are astronomical and rent is unaffordable. If you feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face daily, you’re not alone.
But as bleak as the future can seem, we believe there is hope.
In November 2023, a poll by Abacus Data shows that the idea of a Youth Climate Corps is supported by the majority of Canadians. Read more and view the poll results here.
When the CEU team came together to talk about strategies that would offer the type of transformative change needed to meet the climate emergency, we knew we needed something that could help solve some of our biggest issues: runaway GHG emissions, scarce opportunities for young people, lack of well-paying unionized work…
For those who are concerned about the environment and want to make a positive impact with a meaningful career, it can be even harder to find jobs that align with their values.
That's why we're calling on the Canadian government to invest in our future by creating a national Youth Climate Corps program.
This program would provide job opportunities for young people that are focused on addressing the climate crisis, while also giving them the skills and experience they need to succeed in their careers.
Photo by Paola Alvarez. On May 8 2023, youth in British Columbia delivered over 90 cover letter applications for good, green jobs that don’t yet exist to show the government that we are serious about a national Youth Climate Corps.
Our vision for a Youth Climate Corps is one that will transform our economy away from fossil fuels without leaving workers behind. One that will provide good paying jobs that are meaningful. And one that gives every young person a place to belong in a world that too often feels frightening, lonely and hopeless.
Read more about why we believe in a national Youth Climate Corps here (an historic precedent of such a program).
WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
If “won”, the national Youth Climate Corps would be a transformative new public program for anyone 35 and under that would offer 2-year placement with training and good pay doing meaningful climate work to anyone who wants it. No one would be turned away. It would be a government-funded program, run regionally by communities across the country.
Job training would be accessible and offered with a thriving wage. Young people would be prepared to work in a variety of jobs that would transform our economy and climate for the better.
Specific jobs could include working in renewable energy, building retrofits, ecosystem restoration, forest management, emergency response, and community aid.
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
But right now, the national Youth Climate Corps is just an idea.
It’s a hopeful vision for a future filled with prosperity and purpose. We at the Climate Emergency Unit are dedicated to making this idea a reality.
To win, we need to show politicians and policy-makers that we demand this. We need politicians to STOP asking youth to wait because the climate emergency is now. Let’s show elected representatives that we want a Youth Climate Corps, or else we will take our votes elsewhere.
That’s why we need your help.
Take action to win a Youth Climate Corps
Go to the campaign website to learn more, subscribe to stay up to date, and send a letter to your MP, urging them to add their name to the call.
More ways to get involved:
➡️ Register to join the YCC Organizer’s Slack Workspace
➡️ Download the policy brief / Télécharger notre la mémoire politique
Youth Climate Corps Campaign in the Media
The youth who have been fighting for a YCC across the country have made it in the media! Check it out.
WATCH OUR FIRST CANADA-WIDE ORGANIZING CALL
March 7 2023—Panelists included Naomi Klein, Juan Vargas Alba, and Kate Watt (alumnus and board member of BC Youth Climate Corps), plus moderation by Anjali Appadurai and words of inspiration by Seth Klein.
The Youth Climate Corps campaign is a collaboration with Small Change Fund
