Environmental Justice
Ensure equal access to green space and green job opportunities for young people, especially in historically marginalized communities.
In 2021 and 2022, our policy and advocacy focused on Food Justice. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, struggles surrounding food access intensified. Our recommendations highlighted the urgent need for the creation of micro-food hubs across NYC, involving youth in all elements of building equitable and sustainable local food systems from production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal.
In 2023, Youth Agenda shifted its focus from food justice to a broader environmental justice framework after young people noted it as a crucial advocacy area at the 2022 Youth Agenda Winter Dataland. As the newly minted Environmental Justice policy team, we advocated for the reduction of carbon emissions and for the expansion of youth involvement in sanitation and composting initiatives. In 2024, some of our recommendations called for youth involvement in a redesign of city streetscapes to be flood-resilient and sustainable. We also advocated for the expansion of carbon neutral Cooling Centers, ensuring that all New Yorkers are protected from extreme heat.