Driven By Impact: Diving in to the American Climate Corps

Driven By Impact 🌱

Edition 24: September 2023

The American Climate Corps: An Opportunity for Young People to Address the Climate Crisis

The American Climate Corps, launched by the Biden-Harris Administration, addresses the climate crisis and provides employment opportunities for young individuals. This initiative trains over 20,000 young people in clean energy, climate resilience, conservation, community resilience, clean energy deployment, energy-efficient technologies, and environmental justice.

The Problem, Not Enough Workers:

The climate crisis is one of the most significant threats facing our planet. Unfortunately, there is not enough manpower or workforce in the industry to take on the challenges posed by climate change. This is where the American Climate Corps comes in, providing young people with the necessary training to tackle the problem.

The Solution, American Climate Corps:

The American Climate Corps initiative aims to train and prepare young people to enter the clean energy and climate resilience sectors, where there is a high demand for specialized skills and knowledge. Through this initiative, the government is not only addressing the climate crisis but is also creating pathways for young people to have stable, well-paying jobs. The program’s focus on conservation, community resilience, clean energy deployment, energy-efficient technologies, and environmental justice would give young people the opportunity to make a positive difference and play a crucial role in climate action.

Impact:

The American Climate Corps is a significant step towards addressing the climate crisis while providing quality employment opportunities for young people. The initiative will allow young people to gain specialized knowledge and skills that will enable them to tackle some of the most pressing climate issues. Additionally, the program will also help to reduce greenhouse gases and promote energy efficiency, enabling the US to transition towards a cleaner and sustainable future.

Example, The Citizen Conservation Corps:

This is not the first time the US government has launched a program aimed at addressing the climate crisis and creating employment opportunities for young individuals. The Civilian Conservation Corps was launched during the Great Depression in the 1930s and provided jobs for over 3 million young men. The program focused on the conservation and development of natural resources while also addressing the economic crisis.

One-Minute Call to Action:

The American Climate Corps provides an opportunity for young people to address one of the most significant threats facing our planet while also creating quality employment opportunities. If you are a young person interested in acquiring specialized knowledge and skills in the fields of clean energy and climate resilience, the American Climate Corps may be the perfect program for you. Additionally, you can support this initiative by spreading awareness, encouraging more young people to apply, and taking an active role in climate action.

We get it, it’s tricky!

The climate sector is new and full of opportunities. It's fast-paced, constantly evolving, and in need of innovative minds like yours. Startups value versatility, so if you can multitask and take initiative, you're already a step ahead.

Ever wonder why finding a job in the climate industry can be so challenging? Our latest blog addresses these concerns & offers solutions. Some of the key challenges include:

• Recruitment hurdles for first-time founders

• The hidden nature of the climate job market

• Scarcity of climate mentors

• Constantly evolving climate landscape

• Non-compartmentalized roles compared to larger organizations

• Limited understanding of what constitutes a climate job

• Confusing job titles

Securing a climate job might seem challenging, but the demand couldn’t be higher. Leverage your skills, network, research potential employers, stay flexible, and you'll find your place in this exciting sector.

→ Yesterday we hosted Kat Jellicorse for a “Resume Refresh” event! Check out the recording here to learn how to make your application stand out from the crowd.

→ Climate People’s founder, Brendan, attended NYC Climate Week last week. He met tons of amazing people, brainstormed, and left feeling even more energized to mobilize a workforce transition to climate. Check out the pics!

→ Have you attended on of our "Breaking into Climate" webinars? Sign up for October’s upcoming session. We go over the climate basics and help you set your job search up for success.

→ Calling all Climate Founders! We're conducting 30-minute interviews to discuss climate hiring bottlenecks. Book a time here! Need some motivation? Check out our Climate Hiring Playbook!

→ Missed last week’s email? We revamped our “Driven By Impact” newsletter and you can now expect to see us in your inbox every Thursday!

→ Struggling to navigate the climate jobs noise? Looking for help crafting your resume, outlining your trajectory, or just want someone to bounce ideas off of? We put together a list of 10 incredible climate-focused career coaches. Meet them here!

→ At a recent Reykjavik, Iceland summit, representatives from nature-deployed environmental credit-generating companies and scientific leaders drafted the Reykjavik Protocol - a set of principles that govern how suppliers can responsibly bring their solutions to market. The Protocol provides a framework for nature-deployed environmental credit suppliers across the industry that is intended to evolve with the market and increase buyer trust. Read more.

→ Climate People is partnering with MCJ Collective to host monthly Climate Career Advancement meetups. Our upcoming session is with Drew Wilkinson, climate activist, community organizer, and co-founder of Microsoft’s 10,000 member sustainability community. Register here!‍

→ Ready to level up your sustainability consulting skills? Apply for OnePointFive Academy’s upcoming Sustainability Consulting Accelerator. Climate People subscribers save $379 on tuition if you apply by October 2 (mention Climate People in the application's referral section). Help businesses grow without destroying the planet!

→ Join Soapbox Project's Climate Solutions Cohort to transform climate anxiety into action! Apply now for a spot in the live 6-week fellowship and first year of community membership. Connect with sustainability leaders and like-minded professionals, attend virtual and IRL events, and level up your personal and professional development. Don't miss out - enrollment closes TODAY on September 28th! (Use the discount code CLIMATEPEOPLE to get $100 off the cohort!)

REIMAGINING THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR: PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The high volumes of greenhouse gases emitted by private vehicles contribute significantly to air pollution and climate change.

The US Department of Transportation indicates that public transportation generates considerably lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile compared to private vehicles. Subways and metros produce 76% less, light rail systems emit 62% less, and bus transit contributes 33% less in greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than an average single-occupancy vehicle (SOV).

🪴 HEAD OF PRODUCT
➵ Join the climate solution revolution and make a tangible impact on our planet's future! Our client, a trailblazing global technology and climate impact organization, is on the hunt for an innovative Head of Product. This role is at the heart of their mission to transform how environmental data is utilized, offering an unmatched opportunity to lead product development for their groundbreaking climate data software. You'll be at the helm of shaping product strategies, ensuring customer satisfaction, managing quality control, and driving iterative processes.

🪴 HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
➵ Are you ready to make a significant impact on the global climate crisis? Our client, a pioneering global technology and climate impact organization, is currently seeking a highly skilled and passionate individual to join their team as the Head of Business Development. This leadership role offers an unparalleled opportunity to shape business development strategies, manage global sales processes, and contribute to revenue generation in alignment with the company's strategic goals. Preferred candidates will have prior experience in at least one of the core segments: Financial Services, Carbon Project Market, Corporates with Supply Chain/ Land holdings, Carbon portfolios.

🪴 SENIOR GRANT MANAGER
➵ Join a dynamic advisory firm that has secured over $1.7B in government funding, focusing on industrial decarbonization and clean energy programs. We're seeking a Senior Grant Manager who can lead the process of content creation. You'll manage the entire grant writing and submission process, develop impactful white papers, and strategize on how clients can address key policy goals. If you have a knack for crafting compelling narratives, a track record of successful grant proposals, and at least 4 years of experience in federal government grant or technical-policy writing, this is the opportunity for you. A degree in a hard-science or engineering domain is required.

🪴 ESG CONSULTANT - NYC/BAY AREA
➵ Join our client's team and be a part of their vision to shape a balanced planet for future generations. As an ESG Consultant, you'll have the opportunity to deliver high-quality consulting services, guiding businesses in their sustainable transformation journey. Your role will involve everything from performing ESG Gap Assessments and creating performance dashboards to conducting risk and opportunity assessments. If you have a degree in Business, Sustainability, Energy, Engineering, or Environmental Studies, and have experience in writing Sustainability/ESG/IR reports, this could be the perfect role for you. We're looking for creative problem solvers with excellent communication skills and a deep understanding of global standards like DJSI, Sustainalytics, BRSR, TCFD, GRI, CDP, SDG, SASB, UNGC, UDHR etc.

🪴 ESG MANAGER - NYC/BAY AREA
➵ Join our client's team, a pioneering force in the areas of ESG, Climate Action, and Corporate Responsibility, and play a vital role in steering sustainable transformation in business and society. As a Senior member, you'll provide high-quality ESG consulting services, analyze sustainability impacts, and create performance dashboards to guide businesses towards a greener future. If you have a degree in Business, Sustainability, Energy, Engineering, or Environmental Studies, 4+ years of related work experience, and a solid understanding of global sustainability standards, this role is for you. Leverage your excellent communication skills, creative problem-solving abilities, and knack for building relationships to make a positive impact on the planet.

That's all for this edition! Stay tuned for next month's roundup. Thanks for doing your part in mobilizing a workforce transition to work on climate!