Washington, DC – Across the United States and Canada, a powerful generational movement has emerged to fight for a clean and just energy future. The Campus Climate Challenge, a project of the youth-led Energy Action Coalition, leverages the power of young people to organize on college campuses and high schools across Canada and the U.S. to win 100% clean energy policies at their schools. And in just a year and a half since its launch, the Challenge has made campuses models of sustainability and have put youth at the forefront of the fight to stop global warming.

Since August 2006, the Energy Action Coalition has supported students in achieving over 425 climate and clean energy policies on campuses. Victories include campuses committing to the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, renewable energy purchasing policies, energy efficiency and conservation policies, green fees or sustainable project funds, sustainable transportation policies, establishing campus sustainability coordinators, sustainable endowment victories, and other sustainability policies and investments.

"On campuses and in communities across the United States and Canada, young people are leading the fight to stop global warming," asserts Jessy Tolkan, Energy Action Coalition's Co-Director. "The breathtaking achievements by students stepping up to the Climate Challenge demonstrate the power of this movement to achieve a clean, just energy future."

This school year, students will continue to push for clean energy policies on their campuses, while also engaging their campuses and communities in pushing for clean and just energy in this election, through a program called Power Vote. Students are running the non-partisan Power Vote campaign on hundreds of campuses in over 40 states. Supporters are asked to take the “Power Vote Pledge” to vote for green jobs, clean energy and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Students are also organizing events at candidate rallies, debates, and campaign stops to demand that clean energy become a top priority in the first 100 days of the new administration and beyond.

"It's inspiring to see our campuses rising to the challenge of climate change by becoming models of sustainability," says Reagan Richmond, a senior at University of Tennessee- Knoxville."But we can't stop global warming by ourselves. It's past time policymakers follow our example and take bold action to respond to this global crisis."

For more information, visit PowerVote.org.