Tags
- In The News
- October 2022
Washington Post: Civilian Climate Corps Programs Take Off in States Across the Country
October 14, 2022
The Washington Post explains how states across the country have established programs providing a pathway for young people to work on climate action.
“Regardless of the gridlock in Washington, states across the country have already launched similar programs to hire young people to tackle climate issues within their borders. These state programs could eventually provide a powerful model for a Civilian Climate Corps at the federal level, advocates say.
‘States have consistently stepped up to carry the baton forward on climate when the federal government has fallen short,’ said Casey Katims, executive director of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. ‘So states are stepping up to lead, but the administration can still be looking at what they can do.’
From Maine to California, at least eight states have launched versions of Climate Corps programs, many of which are embedded in state governments and receive federal funding from AmeriCorps.”
About the Alliance
Launched in 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the U.S. federal government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28 percent by 2025, 50-52 percent by 2030, and 61-66 percent by 2035, all below 2005 levels, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories continue to advance innovative and impactful climate solutions to grow the economy, create jobs, and protect public health, and have a long record of action and results. In fact, the latest data shows that as of 2023, the Alliance has reduced its collective net greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent below 2005 levels, while increasing collective GDP by 34 percent, and is on track to meet its near-term climate goal of reducing collective greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
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