Funding Fast-Tracks Climate Change Action

Nova Scotia’s youth will soon have a new way to give their ideas, advice and recommendations directly to government on how to respond to climate change.

The Province announced $800,000 in funding today, May 15, for the Clean Foundation to create a Youth Climate Council and support its work for the next five years. The funding was announced at the 2023 Clean Leadership Summer Internship Conference hosted by the Clean Foundation.

“Young people have a unique perspective and valuable ideas on how we need to respond to the climate change emergency and seize opportunities,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “We are going to listen more by giving youth a formal way to help influence public policy so they can have confidence in their future. I look forward to working with this new advisory council so that we can make sure our children and grandchildren have a future full of promise, hope and opportunity.”

The Clean Foundation will manage this new advisory council.

Minister Halman also announced $250,000 for paid internships to help young people get the skills, training and experience they need to work in the clean economy or environmental sector.

Over 155 Nova Scotia youth are getting paid work experience with 98 employers this year through the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program, which is partially funded by the Department of Environment and Climate Change and run by the Clean Foundation.

These two programs are being funded through the province’s Climate Plan.

Quotes:

“Nova Scotian youth have ambition and are passionate about participating in Nova Scotia’s response to climate change. The Youth Climate Council will provide a platform to connect youth directly with government on climate challenges and opportunities and the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program creates space for youth to explore their career potential. As future leaders of the clean economy, these programs highlight the importance of engaging young people to help our province achieve its environment and climate goals.”

– Scott Skinner, President and CEO, Clean Foundation

“The Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program has provided me with opportunities that I wouldn't have found anywhere else. Not only did I make lasting connections, but I also had the chance to apply my experience as a community organizer to the workforce. This has shown me new ways to work towards a sustainable future every day.”

– Jude Sampson, Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program participant

“The Clean Leadership Program was an amazing way to hire summer staff - we had talented and diverse applicants to interview, hired an excellent intern and were able to focus on our bird conservation work with this intern while the Clean Foundation team dealt with the administrative tasks. We look forward to working with the Clean Leadership Program again.”

– Graham Sorenson, Birds Canada

“As a developing organization with a small staff team, the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program provided us with the resources to hire and mentor competent staff during our busy summer season. The program was an enriching experience and we will certainly participate again in the future.”

– Caleb Grant, Fundy Geopark

Quick Facts:

• action 45 in the Climate Change Plan is to create a new youth climate change advisory committee
• action 46 is to make sure that all Nova Scotians feel welcome and included to give advice to Government on how to adapt to climate change
• action 48 is to help youth get the training, skills and experience they need to work in the clean economy
• action 49 is to have more Indigenous and racialized people working in energy efficiency and clean technologies jobs
• this is the twelfth year that the Clean Foundation has run the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program

Additional Resources:

Clean Leadership Program: https://cleanfoundation.ca/workforce-development/clean-leadership-summer-internship/

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Nova Scotia’s climate risk assessment – Weathering What’s Ahead: Climate Change Risk and Nova Scotia’s Well-being: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/climate-change-risk-report.pdf

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/64th_1st/3rd_read/b057.htm