President Joe Biden’s White House launched the American Climate Corps on Wednesday to “mobilize” 20,000 Americans to “tackle the climate crisis.”
The White House described the new corps as “a workforce training and service initiative that will ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy.”
“The American Climate Corps will mobilize a new, diverse generation of more than 20,000 Americans – putting them to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice, all while creating pathways to high-quality, good-paying clean energy and climate resilience jobs in the public and private sectors after they complete their paid training program,” the White House said.
The Biden administration said the American Climate Corps will focus on “equity and environmental justice” by “prioritizing communities traditionally left behind.”
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“All American Climate Corps programs will be paid experiences that adhere to a common set of programmatic standards, and provide pathways to high-quality employment opportunities in the public and private sectors,” the White House noted.
President Biden is also urging Tribal, State and local governments, as well as unions, nonprofits and the private sector, to “expand skills-based training partnerships to ensure our nation has the workforce necessary to meet our climate goals.”
The White House said ten states are planning to launch or have already launched their own Climate Corps.
“Since taking office, President Biden has delivered on the most ambitious climate, clean energy, conservation, and environmental justice agenda in history – signing into law the largest investment in climate action ever, protecting more than 21 million acres of public lands and water, and advancing the Justice40 Initiative, which directs 40 percent of the benefits from key federal investments to disadvantaged communities,” the White House said.
The American Climate Corps was established to:
- Train young people in clean energy, conservation and climate resilience related skills
- Coordinate Recruitment Across Federal Programs
- Streamline Pathways into Civil Service
- Leverage Tribal, State and Local Governments
- Expand AmeriCorps Segal Education Awards Access
