Annual Youth Council Recommendations

Under the theme of Indigenous partnerships, the Youth Council made recommendations such as providing reconciliation education to participants in youth-focused programs, creating a pathfinder service for Indigenous-target programs and providing funding for Indigenous youth to access certain skills training.

NRCan fully supports the recommendations and work is already underway in several areas. For example:

• Implementing the Indigenous stream of the Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development Program (PARDP) and the Indigenous Career Navigator service for Indigenous public servants.
• A pathfinder program is currently in development by NRCan; and
• Programs and strategies across NRCan sectors have Indigenous skills training components

Under the theme of Tree Planting, the Youth Council made recommendations such as creating a pan-Canadian data hub of green spaces and the development of a centralized, cross-jurisdictional coordinative body for tree planting activities and the evaluation of related grant programs.

NRCan fully supports these recommendations and work is already underway. For example:

• NRCan continues to expand the volume of and access to its geospatial data on green spaces; and
• Leveraging existing networks to coordinate tree planting activities and funding.

Under the theme of Sustainable Jobs, the Youth Council made recommendations such as creating a Sustainable Jobs Hub, new funding streams for not-for-profits, and an interdepartmental Sustainable Jobs Education Funding Program for those pursuing a career in a related field.

NRCan fully supports these recommendations and work is already underway, particularly through the Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) - Green Jobs and the Sustainable Jobs Secretariat. These:

• Provide funding to employers in the natural resource sector, including not-for-profits; and
• Engage with partners in developing policies leading to the 2025 Sustainable Jobs Action Plan.

Under the theme of Zero-Emissions Vehicles, the Youth Council recommended the creation of a roundtable where representatives from federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments can collaborate on addressing the infrastructural challenges of their respective jurisdictions.

NRCan fully supports this recommendation, with the Regional Energy and Resource Table (RERT) and its participation in the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) ZEV Working Group, led by Transport Canada, bringing together representatives from all provinces and territories, and many Indigenous governments, to identify and accelerate shared economic priorities for a low-carbon future.

Under the theme of Green Buildings, the Youth Council recommended the implementation of an incentive framework to encourage landlords to invest in energy efficiency retrofits for their properties.

The Office of Energy Efficiency encourages homeowners – including those renting out their homes - to make energy-efficient decisions through their existing programming.