The Partnership for the Civilian Climate Corps released the following statement today applauding the White House’s creation of the American Climate Corps: 

“The Partnership for the Civilian Climate Corps applauds President Biden’s leadership today with the announcement of the American Climate Corps. The White House’s call for coordination across federal agencies implementing the historic IRA and IIJA with AmeriCorps and Department of Labor can unlock our country’s potential to build a climate-ready workforce by utilizing the power of national service to engage the next generation to tackle climate resilience and mitigation challenges in local communities. 

By formalizing this new initiative through interagency collaboration with AmeriCorps and developing youth workforce development pipelines into climate, environmental resilience, and clean energy careers, we can create a much-needed talent pipeline that bolsters these growing industries and puts youth on pre-apprenticeship pathways to family-sustaining jobs. 

For the past several years, the over 100 cross-sector organizations that make up the Partnership for the Civilian Climate Corps — representing environmental justice, workforce development, labor, conservation, national service, and youth-serving organizations — have called on the White House, Congress, and federal agencies to bring our shared vision to life for a national service corps that puts youth to work to tackle pressing climate and environmental resilience challenges. Today, President Biden made great strides in answering our call, and there is more work to do to realize the full vision and meet the workforce and climate resilience needs of the future

We look forward to working closely with federal agencies and the White House to support the implementation of this groundbreaking executive action that will build on the foundation of existing AmeriCorps and workforce programs like Service and Conservation Corps and innovative state-driven climate corps programs that are thriving across the country and can serve as models for the ACC. 

The American Climate Corps will bring the passion and drive of our nation’s young leaders to the urgent climate crisis, and, at the same time, ensure that America can make good on the promise of recent investments in infrastructure and environmental resilience and the creation of good-paying jobs through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act.”

Learn more about the Partnership for the Civilian Climate Corps.