By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
While federal climate change initiatives are expected to slow over the next three years, the D.C. Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment is considering legislation to bolster the District’s climate change initiatives by giving youth a say.
“The bill recognizes the critical role that young people play in addressing the urgent challenges of climate change and environmental degradation,” said Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, during a recent live-streamed hearing. “As the future steward of our planet, young people already have and will continue to inherit the consequences of our collective failure to mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), rising temperatures in D.C. are believed to be contributing to the earlier blooming of the District’s well-known cherry trees. This could mess up plants’ reproductive processes and pollinators’ ability to collect nectar.
Bill 26-66, the Youth Advisory Council on Climate Change and Environmental Conservation Establishment Act of 2025, would create a youth advisory council to organize young Washingtonians’ perspectives on the climate crisis and its impact on D.C.
“The 17-member body would be tasked with working with DOEE (D.C. Department of Energy and Environment), the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency, the mayor and the council to comment on laws, policies and practices affecting the climate and the environment,” said Allen, a lead sponsor of the bill. “The Youth Climate Council would also be empowered to make recommendations on environmental education and outdoor recreation programs.”
Several D.C. youth and climate change advocates attended the hearing and offered suggestions for improving the initiative. Those ideas include making the council more inclusive for college students and those who are not D.C. residents and ensuring the youth council meetings are educational for the younger participants.
The bill, as written, permits youth from middle school to college age to participate.
Co-leaders of the D.C. and DMV Hub of Black Girl Environmentalists, Deja Newton, 25, and Olivia Wilson, 26, chimed in on the initiative. Black Girl Environmentalists is an organization that empowers up-and-coming leaders of color in environmentalism.
“The D.C. and DMV Hub of Black Girl Environmentalists supports the creation of a youth advisory council as a crucial step in engaging young people in climate policy,” said Newton and Wilson in a statement to the AFRO. “The first step to change starts by recognizing that change is needed and Councilman Allen has willingly taken the charge to revitalize the District–the place we call home.”
“However, for this initiative to be truly impactful, it must not only listen to youth but also act on their recommendations, ensure fair compensation for their contributions and prioritize representation from Wards most affected by climate change,” they added.
Newton and Wilson highlighted the need for “Black young women to have a say on the matter of climate change.”
“Climate change exacerbates existing social and economic inequalities and Black communities, particularly in urban areas, tend to face greater exposure to those environmental impacts,” said Newton and Wilson. “If we want to get real about climate action, we have to center those most impacted.”
As of April 29, there has been no significant further movement on the bill.