The province is spending $800 thousand for youth initiatives to help with climate change.
A Youth Council will be created for the Clean Foundation and will have it’s work supported 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.”
Minister Timothy Halman also announced $250 thousand for paid internships to help young people get the skills, training and experience they need to work in clean economy and the environment sector, to give youth a formal way to help influence public policy.
Over 155 young Nova Scotians 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.
“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
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
