A new Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) presents a rare opportunity to jumpstart a revolutionary clean economy, preparing millions for good-paying careers while also strengthening the ties of American communities. And President Biden has already taken steps to make the CCC a reality. Inspired by FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, and building on recommendations from Governor Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign, the Evergreen Action Plan, and the ground-breaking report from the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Biden’s proposal seizes this chance to make real change.
In this paper, we lay out how the new CCC can take shape. We propose an ambitious corps, designed to deploy 1.5 million corpsmembers over the next five years. The CCC must invest in pathways into good union jobs, and ensure that frontline communities and historically underserved populations are prioritized—an equitable Climate Corps should make a generational investment in leadership of color, and facilitate lasting change in marginalized communities. As cities and towns across the country are uprooted and destabilized by mounting climate disasters, the CCC can spark national solidarity, putting people to work in their communities to build a better future.