Nova Scotia announces plans for youth climate council

A Nova Scotian youth environmentalist is welcoming the creation of a new council that will allow young people to provide feedback to the provincial government on how to respond to climate change.

Jude Sampson helped create the youth climate council and will be one of its participants.

"I would really like to see action come out of this and whatever the council members recommend I would like to see that transformed into policy in some way," they said.

Sampson said the council will give young environmentalists another way to be heard.

"I come from a background of marching in the streets for action, and although that definitely makes a difference, that's not a direct conversation with government," they said.

On Monday, the province announced funding for the Clean Foundation to create the council. The money will support five years of work.

Environment Minister Tim Halman said youth show great interest in environmentalism, but are hesitant to trust government climate policy.

"I know we want our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren to be able to live on this planet and not have to worry every day about climate change," he said.

The creation of the council is part of the province's climate change plan, which includes having 80 per cent of electricity generated by renewable sources by 2030 and phasing out coal-fired plants.

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