U.S. Department of Commerce signs Memorandum of Understanding to shape President Biden’s American Climate Corps    

Administration announces listening sessions in January to hear directly from prospective applicants 

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking critical steps to advance the American Climate Corps, a landmark initiative announced by President Biden earlier this year to train the next generation of clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience workers, while putting them on a path to good-paying union jobs. As part of this commitment, the U.S. Department of Commerce and six other federal agencies – the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Labor and Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and AmeriCorps – are formally entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will serve as a blueprint for the multiagency program. The MOU lays out the mission, goals, priorities, and next steps for implementing President Biden’s American Climate Corps. 

In addition, beginning in January, senior Administration officials will also convene a series of virtual listening sessions to hear directly from prospective American Climate Corps applicants and implementing partners, including labor unions, educational institutions, employer partners, and state, local, and Tribal governments about their priorities for the American Climate Corps. The convenings announced today will inform the implementation of this historic new initiative. More information about the virtual listening sessions can be found here. 

“Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking historic steps to combat climate change, invest in renewable energy solutions, and make our country more climate-ready. Accomplishing these goals means making sure young people across the country have opportunities to advance climate resilience in their communities and build critical skills for good-paying jobs. The American Climate Corps is a key piece of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing work to tackle the climate crisis, and the Department of Commerce is proud to play a part in the initiative,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. 

Under the MOU, agencies are agreeing to the following principles: 

• The American Climate Corps will reflect a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change; 
• The American Climate Corps will build upon and expand existing partnerships, while also initiating new partnerships in communities across the country; 
• American Climate Corps programs will compensate members to ensure the initiative is accessible to all; 
• American Climate Corps programs will provide a pathway to high-quality employment; 
• The American Climate Corps will expand workforce pathways in and led by disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution; and 
• The American Climate Corps will serve all of America’s communities by improving climate resilience, reducing climate pollution, and by creating economic opportunity in our urban, rural, suburban, and wilderness remote areas.  

The MOU also establishes an Executive Committee – comprised of the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor, CEO of AmeriCorps, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Energy, and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency – that will provide leadership across the federal government for the American Climate Corps, as well as a Working Group to formally carry out and implement the initiative. 

Within the first three weeks of launching the American Climate Corps, more than 40,000 people, about two-thirds of whom are ages 18-35, expressed interest in joining the initiative. The American Climate Corps is on track to establish the first cohort of members in the summer of 2024.  

Last year, Secretary Gina Raimondo announced a Department Administrative Order (DAO) establishing the Department of Commerce Climate Council to coordinate and oversee the implementation of integrating climate considerations into the Department’s policies, strategic planning, and programs, and to provide specific recommendations to the Secretary on addressing the climate crisis.