People-powered movements make change: Time for Canadian politicians to listen up and create a Youth Climate Corps

Sunrise Movement activists fighting for a Civilian Climate Corps

Hope has taken root in the political landscape.

President Biden's recent announcement of the American Climate Corps, inspired by the tireless efforts of the American Sunrise Movement, marks a significant milestone in the fight against the climate emergency for our neighbours to the south.

The American Climate Corps is a testament to the power of grassroots movements and shows us what can be accomplished when people (especially young people) mobilize that power. The youth-led Sunrise Movement has been fighting for climate justice since 2017 with a number of bold actions to back up their demands, like hunger strikes, campaigning for the election of climate leaders, and training new activists to join the fight. Their dedication and passion pushed the climate crisis to the forefront of the American political agenda.

Frustratingly for us, Canadian politicians have been dragging their feet on climate, so far showing they lack the courage to bring forward any transformative climate policy, despite workers and activists demanding it. As Erin Blondeau and Emiko Newman from the Climate Emergency Unit wrote in this op-ed, the era of status quo politicians who refuse to act on climate is dead. It’s time for an audacious new jobs program in Canada—one in which we have been calling for: a national Youth Climate Corps.

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 demand for a Youth Climate Corps in so-called Canada

A new and smaller-scale take on the 1930s New Deal-era Civilian Climate Corps, the American Climate Corps is a federally-funded initiative to provide tens of thousands of job opportunities for young people while also addressing the climate crisis. The American Climate Corps jobs will focus on things like restoring ecosystems, building renewable energy, and retrofitting homes to be more energy efficient. This program not only benefits the environment but also empowers a new generation of environmental leaders. This is the type of job training and placement program we have been calling for in Canada. 

If Prime Minister Trudeau wants to appeal to young voters, the Youth Climate Corps is the way forward. As Seth Klein states in this article, recent polling shows that Trudeau’s favourability among young people is slipping. We’ve all seen the tensions grow in this country since COVID-19 –– funding a national Youth Climate Corps will show young people that this country hasn't just given up on the future.