On Racism in the Environmental Movement

Youth4Nature stands in solidarity with Black communities and the Black Lives Matter movement.

As a global, youth-led organisation working in the climate and environmental space, we hold ourselves accountable to the demands for racial justice in light of the recent events surrounding the murder of George Floyd and the consequent outburst of solidarity across the world against institutionalized racism, within the justice system and beyond. 

We acknowledge that the environmental movement perpetuates a system of segregation and unequal access to the outdoors that prevents Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour from attaining the same levels of protection from environmental harms. We also recognize that the climate and ecological crisis disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.

Racism underpins all aspects of society including our environment, creating insecurity in community access to clean water, clean air, and liveable land.  Many are fighting multiple fights, combating the climate crisis on top of systemic barriers based on race, ethnicity, religion, and many others. This is why environmentalism must be intersectional - there is no environmental action without environmental justice, and there is no climate action without climate justice. Racial justice is climate justice. We cannot be complicit in the systems that continue to perpetuate racial inequity in North America and around the world.

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Our platform seeks to empower young people around the world who lead on nature-based solutions for the climate crisis that are ambitious, backed by science, and grounded in justice. Therefore our work must centre the empowerment of disenfranchised peoples who are at the frontlines of the crisis we collectively face.

We have and will continue to commit ourselves to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, and facilitate the empowerment of those who the environmental movement has not historically served. This is long-term work that requires a long-term investment. We are committed to doing the work and integrating racial justice within all parts of our organization, including both our internal structuring and external programming.

We recognize that this work comes too late for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Chantel Moore, and the many, many that were lost before them. There is no time like the present to admit your faults and commit to doing better. As Youth4Nature and as individuals behind this work, we commit to practicing anti-racism in perpetuity.

We’ve shared a short list of organizations and individuals that we have been learning a lot from below. Please do share others we should be following with us!

#BlackLivesMatter

With love and solidarity,

The Youth4Nature Team