Focus Areas

Maine Youth for Climate Justice has 8 focus areas that ground and guide our work. Learn more below.

MYCJ is a member of Divest Maine, an intergenerational group of retirees, youth, beneficiaries, and public employees pressuring Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) to divest from fossil fuels. MainePERS has yet to comply with the law directing them to divest, and we will continue to speak out until they obey the law.

It’s time for a long overdue investment in Maine’s public transportation system. Maine’s current transit infrastructure doesn’t come close to meeting its demand. As the price of car ownership and greenhouse gas emissions soar, public transportation needs to be cleaner, affordable, and accessible for all Mainers.

Fossil fuel corporations that benefit the few at the expense of the many. for a just energy transition, we must include voices from the Wabanaki Nations and other frontline communities in decision-making processes around energy generation, transmission, and cost to rate payers.

As members of the Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition, we participate in their communications and legislative efforts and amplify calls to action that aim to further the self-determination of Tribal Nations in Maine. We believe that there is no climate justice without tribal sovereignty or acknowledging the impact colonialism has had on the environment.

We believe that the path to climate justice advocacy begins with education, through curriculums that teach climate change and intersectionality and incorporate outdoor learning. These lessons not only help youth become more connected with their environment, but instill in them a new awareness and understanding of the world and the ways in which humans have impacted it. This inspires the next generation of climate justice leaders.

In the state of Maine, there is ample opportunity to grow the economy and workforce, as well as keep young people in the state, through green jobs. Green infrastructure like solar and offshore wind energy cannot be built themselves—we need skilled workers to create and maintain the growing demand for clean energy.

Creating and maintaining a clean environment for all is a key component of climate justice. humans are intrinsically linked to our environment, and our health is dependent on that of the environment around us. We must create a clean environment, free from pollution and other environmental hazards, so that all humans and wildlife can thrive, regardless of where they live.

Mainers have the right to create their own local food systems with the interests of their community and environment at the forefront. We should all be able to make our own decisions regarding the food we eat and if it was produced with ethical and sustainable methods. MYCJ is working towards this goal as a member of the Maine Food Convergence Project.