WHO WE ARE

Group picture of CJTO members at a meeting.

The Beginning

Climate Justice Toronto is a grassroots group of young people across the Greater Toronto Area who seek to build an irresistible* and powerful movement to stop the climate crisis by confronting its root causes: capitalism, colonialism and white supremacy.

Founded in March 2019, CJTO was formed by youth who attended the Powershift: Young and Rising summit held in Ottawa, as well as members of the Fight for $15 and Fairness. We are a radical, evolving and introspective group with the aim of building an army of young organizers who want to build a collectively oriented, just society through a diverse set of tactics.

* “The role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible.” by Toni Cade Bambara

Our Vision

Toronto is a democratic and organized city. Our communities create hope and joy by caring for each other. We are fighting for Indigenous sovereignty, climate justice, and a socialist future. Our North Star Demands are:

DEFUNDING THE POLICE

Vision Statement: Communities that care for each other in well organised neighbourhoods where everyone’s needs are met and state policing is rendered obsolete

  • No cops by default
  • Transformative justice
  • Decriminalize resistance 
  • Funding and supporting our needs
  • Care over carceration
cjto galaxy map that outlines how cjto's vision is organized

HOUSING FOR ALL

Vision Statement: Everyone is housed in beautiful, sustainable, accessible, decommodified and public housing

  • Decriminalize Homelessness
  • Expand Tenants Rights
  • Build and Fund Sustainable Housing
  • Challenging Neoliberal Housing
  • Racial Justice in Housing

INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY

Vision Statement: Indigenous nations and communities are thriving and stewarding their lands free from coercive settler institutions.

  • Disrupting colonial and extractive power
  • Wealth and land back 
  • Showing up 
  • Anti-Colonial Education

FREE AND RELIABLE TRANSIT

Vision Statement: An expansive zero emissions network of free and frequent transit that is accessible and non-carceral.

  • Expansive, Free, and Frequent Transit
  • Zero emissions transit
  • Accessible and Non-Carceral Transit
  • Good Transit Jobs
  • Mixed Development Near New Transit

BUILDING LOCAL POWER + COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY + MUTUAL AID

Vision Statement: Local communities are connected and well organized to care for eachother.

  • People having time and resources to engage and organize
  • Community power and engagement  (local political literacy) 
  • Removing community barriers
A large picture of a black animated tree to represent out structure.

Our Structure

CJTO is grouped into four central Branches: Campaigns & Mass Mobilization; Public Education & Storytelling; Community Care, Mutual Aid, & Access; Systems & Admin.

Each of these branches are decentralized and their own centres of power and decision-making. Branches carry the work of CJTO and are accountable to our political principles.

OUR PRINCIPLES

We build our power through nurturing relationships with one another and our communities

We show up for others’ struggles as if they were our own — because they are

We tell our stories and honour each other’s stories, and in doing so centre those at the frontlines of the climate crisis

We embody nonviolent direct action in principle and practice

We take care of ourselves and each other to make way for the type of radical community care that we wish to see in the world

We honour and heed the needs of communities who bear the brunt of the climate crisis

We take the lead from Black and Indigenous peoples and their movements for liberation from colonialism and white supremacy

We are everyday people from all walks of life