Pushing the “most ambitious climate, clean energy, conservation, and environmental justice agenda in history,” the White House announced on Wednesday the launch of the American Climate Corps, which will “mobilize the next generation of clean energy, conservation and resilience workers.”
“Today, through his Investing in America agenda, President Biden is delivering on that commitment by taking executive action to launch the American Climate Corps (ACC) — 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,” stated the White House press release.
According to the White House, the ACC “will put more than 20,000 young people on career pathways” related to the administration’s green energy agenda. The ACC “will focus on equity and environmental justice — prioritizing communities traditionally left behind, including energy communities that powered our nation for generations, leveraging the talents of all members of our society, and prioritizing projects that help meet the Administration’s Justice40 goal.”
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service set to serve as the hub for the ACC, shared in a press release that the program “will improve the lives of individuals and communities throughout the nation, while helping the United States face intersecting challenges — including the catastrophic and disproportionate impacts of climate change and unequal access to training, higher education, and high-quality jobs.”
“President Biden’s American Climate Corps is a bold and necessary response to the concerns of young people across America. From record heat and extreme flooding to devastating wildfires, climate change is an existential threat to life as we know it. AmeriCorps members have been combatting these threats since our founding and we’re prepared to accelerate and strengthen our response,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “We recognize that these times also present an opportunity to address climate change and build a workforce pipeline that will deliver good-paying union jobs and strengthen the clean energy economy. AmeriCorps and our partner agencies are ready to lead the American Climate Corps. We’re always looking to meet the needs of the future, and with President Biden’s American Climate Corps, we’re doing just that. The American Climate Corps marks a new era of youth-powered climate action,” Smith said.
Wednesday’s ACC announcement adds to the five states across the country, including California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Washington, that have already launched their own successful climate corps programs. Arizona, Utah, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Maryland, according to the White House, are moving forward with state-based climate corps as well, “funded through public-private partnerships, including AmeriCorps, which will work with the American Climate Corps as implementing collaborators to ensure young people across the country are serving their communities, while participating in paid opportunities and working on projects to tackle climate change.”
One of the first initiatives under the ACC will be between AmeriCorps and the U.S. Forest Service in establishing a $15 million Forest Corps that will hire 80 young adults, ages 18-26, starting in the summer of 2024. According to AmeriCorps, “The Forest Corps will deploy across America to conserve national forests and grasslands, mitigate risks of wildfires in high-risk regions, and support reforestation efforts and wildfire crisis response.”
AmeriCorps added, “Through this partnership, the Forest Service and AmeriCorps are investing in building the next generation of diverse conservation leaders and supporting our shared goals of service and environmental stewardship,” said Chris French, Forest Service deputy chief. “These young people will help support our highest priority as an agency — confronting the wildfire crisis. We look forward to connecting with this group and providing experiences in service and conservation that will prepare them for future career success.”
The Washington Times reported praise for the launching of the ACC program from the radical youth-led climate activist group Sunrise Movement. “I am thrilled to say that the White House has been responsive to our generation’s demand for a Climate Corps and that President Biden acknowledges that this is just the beginning of building the climate workforce of the future,” Sunrise Movement Executive Director Varshini Prakash told reporters during a White House press call. “Young people need to see actions like this and more of it in the lead up to the 2024 election.”
According to the White House, the “announcement builds on nearly $500 million of Biden-Harris Administration investments to expand pathways into good-paying union jobs by prioritizing Registered Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs, including in clean energy and other climate-focused careers.”
Biden’s executive action on Wednesday is most likely a calculated 2024 campaign move to entice younger voters concerned about the supposed climate crisis to support his reelection.
