In response to the Biden administration’s announcement of its executive order to create an American Climate Corps, Evergreen Action Industry & Workforce Policy Lead Trevor Dolan released the following statement:

“Young people growing up amid the climate crisis have an acute understanding of what we’re up against—and now they have an opportunity to fight it head-on. The same voters that delivered the election for President Biden in 2020 overwhelmingly favored the creation of a climate corps, and today the president answered their call. With the announcement of the American Climate Corps, President Biden’s administration has taken a big step toward delivering good jobs for young people in the booming clean energy economy.

“And as demand for trained clean energy and resilience workers surges, we’ll need all hands on deck for a fair transition. This means ensuring clear pathways to good union jobs, prioritizing historically underserved communities, and making legacy investments in young leaders of color. The 20,000 people serving as initial corps members will be key in this transition, charting a new pathway in climate action that will power the economy for generations to come. This Corps is a clear example of the administration’s continuing commitment to an all-of-government approach to climate and a signal that job creation and climate action are positively linked. We are very excited to see the success of this program and the success of the climate champions who join its ranks.”

Evergreen previously released “Building The Civilian Climate Corps: How New Deal Ambition Can Mobilize Workers For America’s Clean Economy,” calling on Congress and President Biden to create a national climate corps and highlighting how a climate corps can spark national solidarity, putting people to work in their communities to build a better future. You can read the full report here.

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