PARLIAMENTARY INTERNSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Since 2018, the GreenPAC Parliamentary Internship for the Environment (PIE) program has sought to equip the next generation of environmental leaders with invaluable skills, experience, and political know-how to drive change.
Now entering its sixth year, the PIE program offers outstanding young leaders, aged 18-30, the opportunity to work and learn alongside some of Canada's top environmental champions in Parliament. Successful applicants to the program receive a ten-month, paid internship placement in the Parliament Hill office of a Member of Parliament (MP) or Senator with a proven record of environmental leadership. Reflecting GreenPAC's commitment to nonpartisanship, host MPs come from every major national party.
Through PIE, Interns gain a deep understanding of the day-to-day workings of Canadian Parliament. In the full-time office placements, Interns become well-versed in legislative affairs, policy research, and constituency work while supporting current environmental change-makers of all political stripes. Most interns perform a variety of tasks in their offices. This could include writing briefing notes on matters before Parliamentary committees, communications with constituents, conducting research for Private Member’s bills, and supporting MPs in meetings with stakeholders. Outside the office, Interns take part in a range of professional and leadership development programming, including interjurisdictional travel, workshops, seminars, and fireside chats with expert speakers from the nonprofit sector, industry, and government.
The Parliamentary Internship for the Environment program runs from September 2023 to June 2024. Interns receive a monthly stipend of $2,750, for a total of $27,500 over the 10 months of the program. Interns can expect to work full-time hours (35-40 hours) weekly. Most of this time will be spent in the Parliamentary host office, but each week, there will be a couple of hours of GreenPAC programming as well. In September, all interns will participate in an orientation program to get familiar with Parliament, the environmental policy landscape, and the rest of the cohort before placements begin.
We offer two Specialized Streams of the program.
The Specialized Stream for Indigenous Interns welcomes young First Nation, Métis, and Inuit leaders from coast to coast to coast to apply. This stream is being introduced to continue the difficult work of breaking down the systemic barriers Indigenous individuals face in Parliament Hill and support the development of Indigenous-led policy. The features of this stream were designed in collaboration with an Indigenous-led consultant, including the wraparound supports to ensure participants can thrive and succeed.
The Specialized Stream in Sustainable Agriculture invites young leaders from the prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) with an interest and background in agriculture to apply. We piloted interest in a sustainable agriculture stream in the 2020-2021 program year, with tremendous results. This stream will continue to advance environmental leadership in agriculture and elevate rural voices in Canada’s environmental space.
All interns, including those in the Specialized Streams, will be part of a single cohort group, and participate in most programming together.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
GreenPAC values young leaders from all backgrounds and disciplines.
Our only fixed requirements are:
-
applicants are between 18-30 years old as of September 1, 2022 and;
-
applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada for the duration of the program.
We especially invite candidates who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community, and/or a person with a disability to apply.
GreenPAC recognizes that leadership takes many forms. We also recognize that many pathways exist to gaining the types of skills and competencies needed to be successful in this program, and that systemic barriers limit access to opportunities for many groups of people. For this reason, we have always invited applications from young leaders no matter their level or type of education and no matter their type of leadership experience.
Based on the nature of Parliament Hill and our role as a leadership development program, the following are some of the skills, experience and competencies we value, more than particular credentials, in the selection process:
-
Demonstrated interest in the environment
-
Demonstrated interest in politics, the political process or political advocacy at any level
-
Exceptional written communication skills in English (proficiency in French is an asset but not required)
-
Strong oral communication skills in English
-
Critical thinking skills
-
Willingness to learn and engage with different political viewpoints (open-mindedness)
-
Curiosity
-
Adaptability
-
Initiative (“self-starter”)
-
Time management skills
-
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
-
Experience in conducting research and ability to effectively synthesize information
-
Emotional intelligence (strong asset)
For more details about the selection process and internship experience, including our approach to anti-oppressive practice, please refer to our FAQ. If you require any reasonable accommodations during the application process, please contact internship@greenpac.ca prior to the application deadline.
Note: As a program situated on Parliament Hill and run by a non-profit organization, we maintain a high standard for ethics and integrity. Successful applicants will be expected to comply with conflict of interest and anti-lobbying policies (among others). GreenPAC also has policies in place to prevent individuals involved in governing our organization or funding this program from seeking political influence through the program.
APPLY
ALUMNI
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Meet some of our PIE Alumni here and find out what they learned through the program and where they are now.
-
When was GreenPAC Created?GreenPAC was created before the 2015 federal election. Since then we have gone on to run successful endorsement campaigns in the Manitoba (2016), B.C. (2017), Ontario (2018), and Federal (2019, 2021) elections. We have also expanded the scope of our work and piloted innovative programs like our Parliamentary Internship for the Environment,100 Debates on the Environment, and Every Day Advocates.
-
How does GreenPAC work?During elections, GreenPAC screens political candidates and identifies proven environmental leaders in all major parties. Then we drive donations of time and money to our endorsed candidates to help them win.
-
How is GreenPAC different from American PACs?Any similarities to an American PAC are in name only. GreenPAC seeks only to endorse political candidates who have demonstrated environmental leadership. We ask Canadians to pledge their financial and volunteer support directly to the candidates’ campaigns. GreenPAC will not pool funds from political donors, nor donate to or fund any campaigns as an organization. Canada has strict laws on political donations that limit an American-style Political Action Committee from forming in Canada, and GreenPAC adheres to the letter and spirit of these rules.
-
I'm a political candidate with a demonstrated record of environmental leadership. How can I be endorsed by GreenPAC?The GreenPAC endorsement process is done by an independent Expert Panel, made up of credible, independent members who have no ties to political parties and are not on the payroll of any environmental NGOs. Panel members reflect a diversity of views from various parts of the electoral region (province, country)and areas of expertise. In selecting endorsees, the Panel considers the information about the candidate’s track record of environmental leadership that we asked about in our nomination form (available during elections). Candidates are able to nominate themselves or they may be nominated by a third party.
-
What criteria does the Expert Panel use to make their endorsements?Our Panel is looking for political leaders who know how to get things done when it comes to the environment. They are not looking at campaign promises or platforms. Rather, candidates are assessed on what they have accomplished on environmental issues. Environmental leaders are those who work to identify environmental problems through the lens of their own experience and moral values, are committed to leveraging their area of expertise and/or lived experience to achieve positive environmental outcomes, and act as a catalyst towards a more just, sustainable society. In addition, to receive an endorsement, the candidate must also have a reasonable shot at winning.
-
Will GreenPAC endorse candidates in all ridings?In order to ensure that GreenPAC can have the most impact for the candidates we endorse, endorsements will be focused on a small number of candidates. We will not be endorsing in all or even most ridings.
-
GreenPAC will endorse candidates from "all major parties". What parties are included?"GreenPAC’s Expert Panel will endorse at least one candidate from each party that has official party status. Consideration will be made for candidates from other represented parties or independent candidates provided that they meet environmental leadership and winnability criteria.
-
GreenPAC only endorses candidates that meet the winnability criteria. Which candidates are considered "winnable"?"Our general rule is that a candidate is considered winnable if their party has lost by less than 10 to 15% of the votes in the past three elections. We also consider current polling. That being said, candidates can make the case for their winnability if they don't meet this criteria when they fill out a nomination form (available during elections).
-
What is the GreenPAC Parliamentary Internship for the Environment?The GreenPAC Parliamentary Internship for the Environment is a leadership development program that places young environmental stars with MPs from across the political spectrum. For ten months our interns immerse themselves and learn the inner workings of the federal government, as well as attend workshops, committee meetings, leadership development training, and sit-downs with environmental champions. For more information, check out our Parliamentary Internship for the Environment page.
-
Does GreenPAC set policy or take a political stance on certain environmental issues?No, GreenPAC is a political organization that believes that Canada needs elected officials in office who will champion the health of our planet. As an organization, we generally do not take stances on specific environmental policies.
-
What is your connection to the Green Party?None. GreenPAC is a non-partisan organization that believes that environmental concerns are not a one-party issue.
-
Who funds GreenPAC? Do you accept corporate donations? If so, will it be made public?GreenPAC is funded by individual donors who want to see the environment become a primary driver in Canadian politics. We raise funds through events and accept corporate donations (these donors do not direct our programming and are listed on our home page). Our Parliamentary Internship for the Environment, Every Day Advocates and 100 Debates on the Environment initiatives are charitable programs, delivered in partnership with the Sustainability Network of Canada, a registered Canadian charity. The family foundations that fund these charitable programs are acknowledged on each program page of this website. We do not solicit funding from political parties or candidates. We adhere to all relevant electoral law that governs third parties during elections.
-
Why should we focus on electing individual MPs or MPPs when party discipline limits their ability to make a difference?Though party discipline is hardly new in Canada, there has been a troubling long-term trend of elected leaders choosing to relinquish the power and authority that they already have under our system of government to party leaders' offices. In reality, individual MPs and MPPs do have the power to be more independent — they can speak out in caucus, be more assertive in committee, lobby their Ministers, and advance motions, petitions and private member’s bills. Instead, as many groups like Samara Canada have noted, they’re often self-censoring and choosing to toe the party line. In contrast, many of the instances where we have seen leadership on the environment and other issues in the last couple of decades, have been due to the actions of individual MPs who have played a determinative role, brought forward new environmental solutions, and facilitated cross-party cooperation. GreenPAC is addressing this challenge head on by directly supporting individual leaders who are willing to make use of the power they already have, to stand up for the environment. That’s one of the reasons why we focus our criteria for candidate endorsement on a candidate’s track record of leadership, as opposed to their campaign promises and ability to spout off the right words on an issue. One of the best ways to depoliticize environmental action in our houses of government is to harness the broad support that exists across the country for environmental leadership and focus it on electing a critical mass of MPs and MPPs from all parties. When party leaders know that they will lose their seats over this issue, they will be a lot more likely to take action.
-
Does GreenPAC lobby politicians on specific environmental issues?We do not lobby and and are not, nor ever have been, on political lobbying registries. We do not take a stand on policy issues.
-
What impact will GreenPAC have? Have your candidates shown leadership in office?Our impact is seen in the actions of our endorsees. We've elected over 65 environmental leaders to legislatures across the country and they've been working to move the needle forward. The 20 young environmental champions we've placed in the offices of MPs through our Parliamentary Internship for the Environment program are building the capacity of MPs to drive environmental change and alumni are leading in a range of important ways, from running for office, supporting environmental leaders in office as political staffers, and within the private sector. The every day folks and community groups that have gotten engaged in our Every Day Advocates and debates initiatives are making sure those who want to and who do represent our communities in office know that the environment matters to Canadians of all political stripes and that we expect progress and accountability between elections. Check out our Annual Report to see more of our impact!
PARTNERS
The PIE program is delivered in partnership with Sustainability Network
The Parliamentary Internship is made possible thanks to the generous support of:
