Majority of Canadians support the creation of a Youth Climate Corps, polling reveals

A majority of Canadians support the idea of creating a Youth Climate Corps (YCC) across demographic, regional, and political lines. According to a 2023 national survey conducted by Abacus Data, after being given a short description of the program, 55% of adult Canadians support it, with a further 23% who can accept it. Only 12% oppose the idea. 

Among those aged 18 - 35 (the group who would participate in the program), support rises to 65%, with 33% saying they “strongly support” the idea of a YCC (and only 6% opposed).

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.)