New Deal-Style American Climate Corps Puts Young People to Work

Following years of pressure from youth advocacy groups, President Biden this week announced the formation of the American Climate Corps. Modeled on the Civilian Conservation Corps of the Great Depression, the Climate Corps will put young people to work on nationwide projects addressing the causes and impacts of the climate disaster.

“This past summer we saw record climate disasters, record labor strikes demanding good, meaningful work, and major climate protests led by young people,” reads a statement from the Sunrise Movement, a political action organization that has been promoting the concept to politicians for several years. “The American Climate Corps is a response that begins to meet the moment and show young people how their government can work for them.”

Announcing the program Wednesday, September 20, the White House said the program will initially employ around 20,000 young adults in paid positions that will focus on deploying low-cost renewable energy sources, implementing energy efficiency solutions for home owners, rebuilding coastal wetlands and building infrastructure to protect low-lying communities from storm surges. Other jobs will focus on managing fuel loads in fire-prone areas, protecting public lands, and building water conservation infrastructure for agricultural systems.

While there’s no word yet on how much the government will pay Climate Corps workers, the administration says that in addition to employment, the program will focus on providing on-the-job training for careers in the renewable energy sector, which already employs more Americans than oil and gas.

Biden originally promised to create the Climate Corps during his first week in office, then included it, along with a $10 billion budget, in the original version of what became known as the Inflation Reduction Act. The provision foundered in negations with Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia—who owns a coal company–which saw total climate spending in the IRA slashed from $555 billion to $369 billion. The IRA is still the largest investment in clean energy the United States has ever made. It is unclear from where the Corps will find funding, or how much it will get.

The announcement comes as Biden ramps up his bid for reelection next year. 2021 polling showed that 77 percent of likely voters support the creation of the Climate Corps, including 87 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Republicans.

The national Climate Corps will work in collaboration with state-level organizations. California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Washington already have successful Climate Corps operations in place, and Biden’s announcement was accompanied by news from Arizona, Utah, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Maryland that they also plan to establish their own Corps. The White House announcement also includes the suggestion that the national Climate Corps will work in collaboration with AmeriCorps—which provides stipends supporting five million volunteer positions nationwide—but stops short of specifics.

“Young people everywhere should feel empowered by this victory and continue demanding the change we need,” states the Sunrise Movement.