CHAPTER IV pation are also examined. also are pation partici to obstacles and organizations youth of role The levels. these of each at around globe the efforts change climate in volvement in youth of provided are examples concrete and presented, then is participation of levels progressive comprising Nations framework A United system. the within advocacy mental environ in involvement youth for mechanisms various the of review a with begins It change. climate addressing in people young partici of pation the on focuses chapter present The today’s decisions. crucial of impact long-term the experience to live will who ones the are they as context, this within role key a play to prepared be must people Young development. sustainable ing promot and measures adaptation and gation miti change climate implementing moves in forward world the as needed be will experts, scientific to citizens regular from individuals, all of involvement and acumen combined The difference a making and action taking youth forward: Moving CHAPTER IV ------Promoting youth ture. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they bring participation within unique perspectives that need to be taken into account” (United Nations, 1995, para. 104). the United Nations The United Nations has long recognized the Box IV.1 importance of youth participation in decision- making and global policy development. Envi- The World Programme of ronmental issues have been assigned priority in Action for Youth on the recent decades, and a number of mechanisms importance of participation have been established within the system that The World Programme of Action for enables youth representatives to contribute to Youth recognizes that the active en- climate change deliberations. A variety of youth advisory bodies and youth caucuses provide gagement of young people is central young people with opportunities to share their not only to their own development ideas. However, as shown later in the chap- but to the development of society as ter, the existing participatory mechanisms fre- a whole. It acknowledges that young quently do not allow them to contribute mean- people are part of the solution to the ingfully to the decision-making process. difficulties facing society—not another problem to be solved. The Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes that participation is a substantive Because the economic, social, and right and is the means through which children political participation of youth is es- and young people may take part in and influ- sentially a prerequisite for the imple- ence processes, decisions, and activities in mentation of the proposals included in order to achieve justice, shape outcomes, ex- all the other priority areas of the Pro- pose abuses of power, and realize their rights. gramme of Action, promoting the in- 49 The intent underlying this Convention was reaf- volvement of young people is critically firmed in 1995, when the United Nations Gen- important. Proposals for action relat- eral Assembly adopted the World Programme ing specifically to youth participation of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Be- include the following: yond (United Nations, 1995), and again in 2007, in the Supplement to the World Programme of (a) Improving access to information Action (United Nations, 2007a). Generally con- in order to enable young people sidered the first global blueprint for developing to make better use of their oppor- effective policies for young people, the World tunities to participate in decision- Programme of Action for Youth2 identifies full making; and effective participation of youth in the life (b) Developing and/or strengthening of society and in decision-making as one of opportunities for young people to fifteen priority areas requiring action by Gov- learn their rights and responsibili- ernments, the international community, civil so- ties, promoting their social, politi- ciety, and the private sector (see box IV.1). As cal, developmental and environ- stated in the World Programme of Action, “the mental participation, removing capacity for progress of our societies is based, obstacles that affect their full con- among other elements, on their capacity to in- tribution to society and respecting, corporate the contribution and responsibility of youth in the building and designing of the fu- inter alia, freedom of association; (c) Encouraging and promoting youth associations through financial, edu- 2 In its resolution 47/1 on policies and programmes involving youth, adopted in 2009, the Commission for cational and technical support and Social Development stated that the World Programme promotion of their activities; of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond (United Nations, 1995) and its Supplement (United Nations, (d) Taking into account the contri- 2007a) would henceforth be referred to as the World Programme of Action for Youth (United Nations, Com- bution of youth in designing, mission for Social Development, 2009). of 2,000 youth leaders from more than 1,000 implementing and evaluating na- youth organizations, many of which are nation- tional policies and plans affecting al networks that bring together young people their concerns; with a desire to contribute to the creation of a more sustainable world. The Youth Caucus fa- (e) Encouraging increased national, cilitates the introduction of youth perspectives regional and international coopera- to the Commission on Sustainable Develop- tion and exchange between youth ment, which is the highest-level forum within organizations; the United Nations system for sustainable de- velopment issues. In addition, the Youth Cau- (f) Inviting Governments to strengthen cus fosters communication and the sharing of the involvement of young people in information between youth organizations that international forums, inter alia, by share an interest in sustainability (United Na- considering the inclusion of youth tions, CSD Youth Caucus, 2008). representatives in their national del- egations to the General Assembly. Young people have also played a prominent role within the United Nations Permanent Fo- Source: United Nations (1995), World rum on Indigenous Issues, especially at its sev- Programme of Action for Youth to the enth session (April 2008), whose special theme Year 2000 and Beyond; proposals for was “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and action are reproduced verbatim from livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous para. 107. peoples and new challenges”. The Indigenous Youth Caucus brought together 145 indigenous The environment was identified as one of the young people from more than a dozen coun- original ten priority areas in the World Pro- tries. In one of its statements to the Forum at gramme of Action for Youth. While climate the seventh session, the Caucus highlighted the role indigenous youth could play in the fight 50 change was not considered a high priority at the time the Programme was adopted, the de- against climate change but also expressed its terioration of the natural environment was. In- concern over the limited participation of indig- terest in the environment intensified over the enous youth in decision-making processes at years, becoming one of the principal concerns the local, national, and international levels (see of young people worldwide. In 2008, youth del- box IV.2). egates to the United Nations General Assem- bly identified climate change as one of their key priority areas for action in the lead-up to the Box IV.2 regular Assembly sessions. During the General Mainstreaming indigenous Assembly debate that year, youth delegates peoples’ issues in international spoke about the eagerness of young people development assistance pro- to participate in decision-making on critical is- grammes and funds dedicated sues such as climate change. to addressing climate change

Another important avenue for youth participa- Indigenous peoples, in particular in- tion in United Nations intergovernmental pro- digenous youth, feel that they have cesses is the Youth Caucus of the United Na- been largely excluded from discus- tions Commission on Sustainable Development sions on climate change at all levels. (CSD Youth Caucus). The Youth Caucus is the Indigenous youth have much to con- interface used by the major group represent- tribute and want the international com- ing the interests of children and young people munity to recognize that their people around the world, as mandated by chapter 25 offer unique perspectives and tradi- of Agenda 21, to communicate the perspec- tional knowledge that can be used in tives of youth and coordinate their participation the development of mitigation and ad- in the meetings of the Commission on Sus- aptation strategies. The involvement of tainable Development, and to increase youth indigenous youth as full and effective visibility and involvement within this context. partners will be important to the suc- The Youth Caucus is an international network

UNEP is working in countries around the world cess of global climate change mitiga- to promote youth involvement in combating tion efforts. Prioritizing programmes climate change. In February 2003 the Pro- aimed at increasing climate change gramme’s Governing Council adopted the Tun- awareness among indigenous youth za Youth Strategy, a long-term approach to en- through education and training would gaging young people in the work of UNEP and greatly enhance their capacity to par- supporting their participation in environmental ticipate in decision-making processes. activities and decision-making. Through Tunza, Such efforts could also include the UNEP facilitates youth participation in global strengthening of networks through and regional environmental negotiations. Initia- which indigenous youth might share tives and activities, including the involvement their perspectives and experiences of youth in the UNEP Governing Council ses- with their counterparts in other areas sions, are preceded by a Tunza youth retreat to of the world. enable youth leaders to review the issues be- ing discussed and agree on their contributions Paragraph 7 of the Anchorage Decla- to these discussions. The Tunza International ration, issued on 24 April 2009 at the Youth Conference, held every two years, is one conclusion of the Indigenous Peoples’ of the key platforms for cooperation and inter- Global Summit on Climate Change, action between UNEP and its youth partners. reads as follows: “We call for adequate and direct funding in developed and Youth participation developing States ... to enable In- digenous Peoples’ full and effective and the United participation in all climate process- es, including adaptation, mitigation, Nations Framework monitoring and transfer of appropri- Convention on ate technologies in order to foster our 51 empowerment, capacity-building, and Climate Change education. We strongly urge relevant United Nations bodies to facilitate and As noted in chapter I of the present Report, fund the participation, education, and the annual COP sessions constitute the princi- capacity-building of Indigenous youth pal forum for Governments to discuss climate and women to ensure engagement in change mitigation and adaptation policies as all international and national process- well as national commitments to reduce GHG es related to climate change.” emissions, so youth involvement in this pro- cess is especially critical. The youth presence Source: Anchorage Declaration (2009). at COP sessions has gradually gained strength and focus. What was once a relatively loose configuration of participants—generally small numbers of college students and young profes- Many of the other United Nations organizations sionals from developed countries—has evolved that deal with youth issues have identified cli- into more unified and coordinated youth mate change as a key concern and have made contingents; hundreds attended COP 14 in it the focus of various initiatives. For example, Poznan, Poland, in 2008, and more than a thou- the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), sand participated in COP 15 in Copenhagen. in partnership with UNEP, has developed Unite for Climate, a social networking tool that serves Young people have been involved in climate as a platform for youth exchange and mobili- change activities for some time. However, it zation for action on climate change. Unite for was not until the year 2000, at COP 6 in The Climate also enables UNICEF and other United Hague, that a youth conference was organized Nations agencies to communicate with youth. and a youth declaration was prepared. Since The group’s software is designed to work in ar- then, each COP session has incorporated a eas with connectivity or bandwidth limitations youth event, and young people have actively and to accommodate varying skill levels among sought official recognition from the Confer- users, thereby maximizing participation. ence. In 2004, at COP 10 in Buenos Aires, youth participants issued a formal declaration event in the form of an intergenerational inquiry that begins as follows: “Youth participation in on climate change solutions, as well as other the COPs of the UNFCCC, as in many other in- side events focusing on the role of education ternational, national and local decision-making in relation to the climate crisis, forest protec- processes, is scarce and disarticulated. How- tion, intergenerational equity, and agriculture. ever, the decisions being taken significantly af- Attendees of all ages showed support for the fect our life at present and in the future” (Youth: youth day initiatives by wearing orange clothing. Protagonists, Not Spectators, 2004). The fol- lowing year, more than a hundred youth from The youth attending COP 15 called for fair, 24 countries attended the International Youth ambitious, and binding commitments from Summit at COP 11 in Canada, articulating their Governments to prevent catastrophic climate shared vision in a youth declaration entitled change and ensure the survival of present and “Our Climate, Our Challenge, Our Future”. This future generations (see box IV.3). The young document included a set of demands that fo- participants voiced their support for those cused on climate change mitigation and adap- countries that made the most progressive de- tation policy requirements. The Declaration also mands and put the most challenging targets on reiterated the need for a “permanent, funded the table. “It’s late, but not too late!” was the youth constituency to be included in the inter- message conveyed by young people (Howe, national climate change negotiation process” 2009). The collective demands put forward by by the time the COP met at its next session. youth in Copenhagen included the following: Over the past several years the participation •• Ensure climate justice; of youth, including individuals sponsored by Governments and NGOs, has continued to •• Limit the global temperature increase to grow. Young people have become increasingly 1.5° C; involved in Conference activities, participating in media events, meeting with Government del- •• Reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide lev-

52 egations, and expanding the global youth cli- els to 350 parts per million or less; mate change network while continuing to lobby for official status at the COP sessions. •• Commit developed countries to allo- cating at least 5 per cent of their gross Some of the more recent COP sessions drew domestic product to finance adaptation over 500 youth delegates from more than 50 measures by 2020; nations. In Bali in 2007 and in Poznan in 2008, the young delegates were given the opportu- •• Reduce the emissions of developed nity to make formal statements to the Confer- countries to at least 45 per cent below ence of the Parties on behalf of youth around 1990 levels by 2020 (UNFCCC Youth the world. Because large numbers of youth Constituency, 2009b); were in attendance, it was possible to stage •• Reduce the emissions of developed large-scale theatrical activities to drive home countries to at least 80 per cent below environmental messages and attract world 1990 levels by 2050. media attention. The increasing size of the youth contingent prompted the development of strategies for the establishment of an internal Box IV.3 secretariat and other governance structures to manage and coordinate the participation and Youth voices at the fifteenth activism of youth delegations (Gracey, 2008). session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) COP 15, held in Copenhagen in December 2009, attracted more than a thousand young “I came as a part of the Pacific youth people from over 100 countries. A special delegation, but here I united with the youth event, Young and Future Generations Caribbean, the Maldivian, and the In- Day, was held to showcase different youth ac- ternational Youth Climate Movement tivities and draw the delegates’ attention to the as a whole, calling out with one unit- efforts being made by young people to address ed voice for only 1.5 degrees of tem- climate change. The youth day encompassed perature rise and 350 ppm of carbon more than 40 events, including a high-level side

concentration in the atmosphere”, status during the fifteenth session of said Krishneil Narayan from Fiji. “If the the Conference of the Parties and will youth can unite as one movement at likely be granted permanent status at COP 15, we expect the leaders decid- COP 17. This unprecedented coali- ing our future to do the same” (UN- tion of participating youth organiza- FCCC Youth Constituency, 2009b). tions acts as a single entity with a uni- fied voice during official negotiations. Prisca Randriamampihavana, a As a recognized constituency, young 20-year-old youth delegate from Mad- people are given a speaking slot at agascar, challenged the negotiators at the high-level segment of COP ses- COP 15: “We want to ask world lead- sions and can make statements during ers, how old will you be in 2050?” (UN- the plenary. They are also able to co- FCCC Youth Constituency, 2009a). operate more closely with the United Nations Climate Change secretariat, helping to organize meeting logistics COP 15 marked the first time youth were of- and coordinate fundraising to increase ficially recognized as a formal constituency, the participation of young people, es- though the group was assigned provisional sta- pecially youth from the global south. tus pending a final decision that would legiti- Conference support for youth involve- mize its position by COP 17 (see box IV.4). The ment is already in evidence; generous youth constituency has already set up an inter- funding from the Government of the nal system for democratic decision-making and Netherlands enabled 50 youth from information sharing and is very well-organized. the global south to attend COP 15 in It keeps the United Nations Climate Change December 2009. secretariat informed of its progress and con- tributes to crucial discussions and decisions The recognition and support of the 53 relating to youth participation and representa- youth constituency is in line with the tion. The constituency plays an important role provisions of article 6 of the Frame- in capacity-building for a growing number of work Convention, which calls for an youth participants, with those who have been increase in education, training, and involved for some time helping newcomers un- public awareness on climate change derstand how the process works through en- issues. gagement in various advocacy activities. The youth constituency is also active on the po- Source: UNFCCC YOUNGO Wiki Por- litical front, producing powerful messages for tal (n.d.), YOUNGO constituency FAQ. interventions at the plenary and building rela- tionships with other stakeholders, including the chairs of negotiating bodies and regional groups Growing numbers of young people are partici- as well as the other constituencies. All of this pating in United Nations efforts to combat cli- has been achieved in a remarkably short time mate change, seeking to influence the global by a group that appears to enjoy an extraordi- policy agenda through more organized environ- nary degree of unity, coherence, and cohesion. mental activism and lobbying to promote sus- tainable development. More youth than ever before are attending international meetings, Box IV.4 making their voices heard as they demand that Governments and policymakers undertake The status of the youth con- the commitments necessary to tackle climate stituency in activities carried change and ensure global sustainability. Un- out under the auspices of the fortunately, while their ideas, concerns, initia- United Nations Framework tives, and calls for action are being acknowl- Convention on Climate Change edged, youth are rarely given the consideration they deserve—or the opportunity to participate The youth constituency, referred to as meaningfully—in the formulation of climate YOUNGO, was assigned provisional change policy.

The section below takes a closer look at the on the ladder sometimes constitute what may various levels of youth participation, provides be termed pseudo-participation (Hart, 1992), examples of youth involvement in climate where young people serve as window dressing, change initiatives at each of these levels, and their involvement is essentially tokenistic, or considers what needs to be done to ensure they are manipulated into arriving at predeter- that youth play a more active role in decision- mined outcomes. The middle and higher rungs, making. however, represent a progression towards gen- uine empowerment and include the following:

Youth participation: 1. Informing and educating young people; climbing the ladder 2. Gathering information from young people; towards genuine 3. Consulting with young people; 4. Involving young people; empowerment 5. Establishing collaborative partnerships Young people across the globe have been at with young people. the forefront of efforts to respond to climate change. However, they have fought a pro- Providing young people with information and tracted uphill battle to ensure that their voices education on climate change establishes a firm are not just heard, but heeded. Although youth foundation for environmental advocacy. On are allowed to participate in many of the high- this first rung of the ladder, however, youth are er-level policy processes, consultations, and offered few, if any, opportunities to influence activities, they often remain on the periphery, policy decisions. Involvement at this level is excluded from decision-making. Young people usually limited to exchanging ideas and build- want to be involved and, given their stake in the ing relationships. In some instances, youth are future, should be involved in shaping climate recruited to help coordinate information ses- 54 change policies. Youth participation is critically sions or to serve as peer educators. important and needs to be given the recogni- On the second rung of the ladder, information tion it deserves, as it benefits not only young is collected from young people who care about people themselves, but also society as a whole the environment and want to share their per- (Biffi, 2008). spectives. At this level of participation youth Significant awareness-raising efforts have been are heard, but those in positions of authority undertaken to ensure that young people are in- make no commitment to acting in ways that formed about the causes and consequences give the youth voice any force. of climate change. Such efforts are important The third rung is consulting with youth. This in that they provide a solid knowledge base level constitutes a potential tipping point, as and in some cases facilitate the development it is here that the balance may begin to shift of targeted skills, but they essentially consti- towards meaningful involvement and genuine tute a one-way process that contributes only empowerment. Consultation entails the mu- minimally to building capacities for responding tual exchange of information and allows for to climate change through meaningful engage- the possibility that the input of young people ment. When young people are empowered to might have an impact on the direction policy collaborate in setting the agenda for change takes or on the content of programmes being and shaping policy, they become full partners developed. in action, strengthening the community’s ca- pacity to make a difference. By the time the fourth rung is reached, the in- volvement of youth is being actively sought. The ladder of participation Young people are given the opportunity to help set the agenda, contribute to deliberations, or Youth involvement in climate change initia- otherwise influence the course of events. tives may be examined in terms of levels of empowerment, represented as a “ladder of At the fifth rung—the highest level—youth are participation” (International Association for engaged in collaborative partnerships. In such Public Participation, 2007). The lowest rungs settings, young people are empowered to share in managing the decision-making pro- tion and inputs; it is unclear at this point wheth- cess, which includes identifying solutions and er youth involvement in climate change initia- reaching agreement as to how the solutions tives is more prevalent in developed countries generated will be implemented. or whether youth in developed countries are simply more likely to report on their activities. At each of the levels of participation represent- It is also possible that many youth initiatives ed by the rungs of the ladder, actions initiated in developing countries are subsumed under by youth improve their prospects for exerting another heading—such as disaster planning or genuine influence. Every level constitutes a relief—and are therefore not readily identifiable necessary step to the top but is also important as relating to climate change. in itself. Participation on the lower rungs often leads to action further up the ladder and to en- Informing and educating hanced empowerment; however, even those young people whose involvement remains on youth the lower rungs may contribute to an initiative’s Before young people can participate effectively success. in mitigation and adaptation activities, they must In general, the key principles of effective and learn about both climate change and success- authentic participation are clarity of intent (the ful advocacy. Increased content knowledge is purpose is understood by all involved); inclu- essential, but young people also need to know siveness (participants are diverse and include how to interpret data and assess risks, prob- those not often heard); participativeness (op- abilities, and opportunities. It might appear that portunities are available for two-way exchange, participation at this level is limited to one-way, mutual learning, and relationship-building); and top-down communication in which “experts” the scope to influence (the potential exists to tell young people what they think they should bring about change in some way or to some know, contributing little to their empowerment. degree). However, there are many examples (including those highlighted below) of youth actively and 55 successfully educating each other in formal, Youth participation informal, and non-formal contexts. Qualitative in climate change evaluations of peer education in other areas have shown that young people appreciate and initiatives around are positively influenced by well-designed and properly supervised peer-led instruction. Youth the world serving as peer educators have the opportunity to improve their own knowledge and skills and Youth initiatives focusing on climate change generally find the experience both challenging have a broad range of entry points, and there and rewarding. In many instances peer educa- are examples from all over that show how youth tors have been shown to be more effective than have been involved in mitigation and adapta- adults in establishing norms and changing at- tion efforts. The youth activities highlighted in titudes (United Nations Children’s Fund, 2009). the sections below constitute a representative sample of the types of advocacy in which young International people are currently engaged. Most of the ex- amples derive from contributions submitted by The International Federation of Red Cross and youth and youth-led organizations in response Red Crescent Societies (2009a) include 186 to a call for inputs to the present World Youth member National Societies, many of which Report. They are not linked to specific rungs sponsor dynamic youth volunteer programmes. on the ladder of participation but instead re- Initiatives focused on raising awareness about flect the gradual progression from awareness- climate change include the following: raising to active collaboration. The examples in this chapter are illustrative and do not comprise Colombia a comprehensive catalogue of youth initiatives. Youth-led community-based approach- The seeming predominance of developed es to raising awareness about climate country activities in the sections to come is a change have included the production of reflection of the availability of relevant informa- dramas and puppet shows and the devel- 56

opment of informational materials for chil- Canada and the United States dren. Hundreds of volunteers have been The Kick the Carbon Habit Education trained, and thousands within the com- Campaign was initiated by UNEP to em- munity have participated in local forums power and educate youth and the general or in national conferences or meetings. public in the area of environmental respon- Many have also benefited from micro- sibility. Youth leaders and ground teams projects relating to climate change. are recruited to host educational events Guatemala focusing on climate change issues, where participants are provided with relevant in- Students planted trees and put on a formation and learn concrete ways to re- hand-made-puppet show to inform audi- duce their carbon footprint and address ences about climate change and reducing climate change. Twenty young people the risk of landslides. spearhead the Campaign. (Kick the Car- bon Habit Youth Network, n.d.) Malawi Young people participated in a video pro- Fiji duction on the effects of climate change. The Fiji Red Cross Society is develop- ing a youth group curriculum on disaster Pakistan awareness that will include a segment on Youth are educating other youth about cli- climate change (International Federation mate change through drama. of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societ- ies, 2009a). New Zealand education, seminars and workshops, and net- Enviroschools is a national initiative that working. Many of the examples of youth par- takes a whole-school approach to edu- ticipation that appear elsewhere in this chap- cation for a sustainable future. The pro- ter incorporate elements of capacity-building. However, those highlighted below are mainly gramme encourages creative thinking and awareness-raising activities. Most appear the acknowledgement of others’ perspec- to be isolated events; it has been suggested tives and seeks to bring about long-term that the effectiveness of such activities might behavioural change by helping students be enhanced if they were embedded in long- think critically about the long-term impact term programmes that integrated a number of of their attitudes, values, and lifestyle capacity-building approaches (United Nations choices (Enviroschools Foundation, n.d.). Environment Programme, Division of Technol- Solomon Islands ogy, Industry and Economics, Economics and Trade Branch, 2006). The Honiara Youth and Climate Change Forum, held in November 2008, brought India young people from the Solomon Islands In August 2008, the Indian Youth Sum- together with an elder to learn about cli- mit on Climate Change brought together mate change through discussion and young people from India and abroad to fieldwork. Participants concluded the share views and establish collaborative event with the development of personal partnerships. The Summit included key- and group action plans (Jionisi and Ow- note speakers and presentations from ex- ens, n.d.). The Solomon Islands Red perts and organizations working with cli- Cross Society, one of the main organiz- mate change, youth presentations and the ers of the Forum, began engaging youth exchange of ideas among young people, in a climate change programme in 2007. an international youth panel on climate Initiatives have included school aware- change, human art formation, and a film ness programmes, village assessments, 57 festival. One major outcome was a youth radio quizzes, advocacy activities, and declaration that included individual com- the building of youth networks. Young mitments and a collective pledge to work people are involved both as participants towards a better future in India, together and as volunteers (International Fed- with a strong statement on the importance eration of Red Cross and Red Crescent of youth engagement in policy-making Societies, 2009a). on climate change at all levels (Indian Young people sharing Youth Summit on Climate Change, 2008). information and building Tuvalu capacity Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction programmes led by the Young people have come together in numerous Red Cross Society have engaged youth forums around the world to share information in workshops on disaster risk assessment and perspectives on climate change. In the and response, including the production of process, they have strengthened their social a drama about flooding events that have capacity to respond to the challenges associ- occurred. This has prompted some young ated with this issue. The distinction between people to initiate similar activities in their informing/educating and information-sharing/ own communities. The two programmes capacity-building is not always clear, but it have also involved youth in planting pan- may be argued that the latter is situated slightly danus trees and cleaning up the shore- higher on the ladder of participation because it line. Youth unemployment is high in Tu- entails active learning, sharing, and developing. valu, and while such programmes do not Capacity-building involves raising awareness, provide any monetary compensation, they but it also encompasses building analytical do offer youth an opportunity to engage in skills and enhancing decision-making abilities. productive work that benefits their com- These outcomes can be achieved through dif- munities. Through the Red Cross Society, ferent approaches, including training, formal youth have also participated in school programmes on climate change and in a ships, and youth-led discussion forums. Where national poster design competition focus- Internet access is limited, other audio-visual ing on this issue. (International Federation and telecommunications technologies have of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, been utilized to engage young people in cre- 2009b) ative new ways.

United Kingdom International

You, Me, and the Climate, an initiative Make the Link, Be the Change uses a multilin- of The National Trust, provides 16- to gual website and videoconferencing to develop 19-year-old “climateers” with the organi- climate change awareness among students. zational, communication, and leadership Participants learn about local environmental skills they need to become community consequences, contributing factors, behaviour advocates and get people in their area change, and partnerships using shared lesson thinking about climate change and its plans. This is complemented by out-of-school consequences. The emphasis is not only work including essay writing, drawing, photog- on youth taking action, but on young peo- raphy, and sculpture representing the impact ple working together to give their actions of climate change. Some of the works created force at the national and international lev- have been displayed at the World Museum Liv- els through joint activities, coordinated media campaigns, and the use of the Web erpool and at COP 15 as part of the Children and other new media. (You, Me, and the in a Changing Climate display. Eighty schools Climate [YOMAC], n.d.). in twelve countries are involved (Plan Interna- tional, 2009).

Youth applying informa- Canada tion and communication TakingITGlobal uses information and technologies communication technologies to provide 58 opportunities for learning, capacity-build- About 1.8 billion people use the Internet on a ing, self-development, and cross-cultural regular basis for their work, leisure activities, awareness. One of the aims of the orga- and general living needs (Internet World Stats, nization is to increase recognition of the n.d.). Ever-expanding communication net- important role youth can play in decision- works are connecting people, organizations, making processes. The TakingITGlobal and nations in ways that are unprecedented, website includes a page devoted to in- with enormous potential for enhancing civic troducing youth to climate change issues participation—including involvement in climate and offers a downloadable version of the change initiatives. Global Internet usage re- Climate Change Youth Guide to Action. A mains very uneven, however. Although it has Web platform is made available to users grown exponentially in developing countries, interested in starting, running, and man- penetration rates are still relatively low—8.7 per aging their own initiatives. (TakingITGlob- cent in Africa, 20.1 per cent in Asia, and 28.8 al, n.d.). per cent in the Middle East, compared with 76.2 per cent in North America (Internet World India Stats, n.d.). Moreover, the global digital divide (the gap between those who have Internet ac- In February 2009, the Indian Youth Cli- cess and those who lack access or the ability mate Network organized an electric car to use current technologies) is growing wider. caravan that stretched from Chennai to Delhi—the longest such procession ever In the initiatives reviewed involving youth par- attempted. As the participants travelled, ticipation in climate change activities, espe- they reported on local innovative solu- cially in the developed world, computers and tions to climate change, conducted nu- the Internet appear to be central to bringing merous youth climate leadership training young people together for dialogue and ac- sessions, and engaged young people in tion. Climate change is a global challenge, and brainstorming sessions. The stories they the Internet has facilitated the development collected were written and disseminated of worldwide networks, collaborative partner- in ways that appealed to youth, with many appearing as short movies on YouTube. isting youth media on and off campus to The aim of the project was to show the build a revolutionary media network. The world that India was doing something aim is to empower the global youth cli- about climate change. (Indian Youth Cli- mate movement to address the challenge mate Network, n.d.). of climate change in the most effective way possible. Youth-produced stories Indonesia and short videos are featured on the web- Children from a flood-prone informal set- site. (Fired Up Media, n.d.). tlement in Jakarta partnered in the pro- duction of a participatory video on climate Youth gathering and change, and youth volunteers continue to analysing information use the video (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, The collection of local data on social indica- 2009a). tors and the physical environment, the creation of databases, descriptions of initiatives, and Malawi benchmarking studies provide a deeper under- A university student intern produced a standing of the area-specific effects of climate five-minute participatory video on climate change and also contribute to building knowl- change in collaboration with the Ma- edge and skills that can increase local adaptive lawi Red Cross Society, engaging fifteen capacity. Young people around the world have young people in the process (International both led and participated in data-gathering ini- Federation of Red Cross and Red Cres- tiatives that have bolstered climate change re- cent Societies, 2009a). search and strengthened local resilience to the consequences of climate change. Nigeria International The African Radio Drama Association’s climate change project is a 26-episode ra- Our Task, an international youth network in- 59 dio production aimed at improving the ca- volved in promoting awareness of global sus- pacity of smallholder farmers to respond tainable development issues, works with men- to climate change. The important role of tors in analysing, assessing, and summarizing youth and women in sustainable agricul- relevant trends, models, and strategies to pro- ture is highlighted. (African Radio Drama duce the Youth Earth Plan, an annual publica- Association, n.d.). tion that “presents … the thinking of young adults on the large-scale changes needed if Norway youth—and all forms of life—are to reach 2100 NUFF Global held an international youth safely”. Forty young adults from fifteen coun- film festival on climate change in 2007. In tries are involved. (Our Task, 2008). their productions, the enthusiastic young filmmakers share stories featuring chal- China lenges that have arisen as a result of cli- The China Youth Climate Action Network mate change. Screened at the United Na- comprises more than a hundred universi- tions Climate Change conferences in Bali ties, providing a platform for sharing solu- in 2007 and in Poznan in 2008, many of tions and taking action to combat climate the films have garnered international at- change. The Network is especially active tention. (NUFF Global, n.d.). in research and development relating to campus sustainability. Core projects in- United States clude a survey on youth awareness, a Fired Up Media reports from the front green campus initiative that includes the lines of the youth climate movement and collection of data on campus GHG emis- trains climate change activists through sions and their impact, the maintenance an online organizing wiki. The network is of a university energy consumption data- harnessing dynamic advances in digital base, and the development and dissemi- communications and other new media, nation of learning materials to increase creative social entrepreneurship, and ex- awareness among youth. The Network recently produced the China Youth Cli- objectives. Some focus on encouraging young mate Change Guidebook, which is being environmental advocates to take the first steps used on university campuses to promote towards action, while others work directly with student awareness and activism. One of Government entities to facilitate the integration the main goals of the Network is to reduce of green values at the State level. A number of emissions by 20 per cent on 40 pilot cam- youth organizations concentrate on a particular puses. (China Youth Climate Action Net- area, such as addressing legal challenges. A work, 2008). growing number are engaging in Internet activ- ism together with direct action in order to maxi- Mongolia mize the impact of their efforts and to achieve Dynamics of Biodiversity Loss and Per- the critical mass needed to make their voices mafrost Melt in Lake Hövsgöl National heard. Park, a World Bank/Global Environment Facility project, hired 23 young graduate International and post-graduate researchers to help in- vestigate the effects of localized climate Established by Greenpeace International in variability on permafrost. Working with na- 2003, Solar Generation is a network of young tional mentors and international academ- people from 15 countries engaging in climate ics, the young researchers were offered change advocacy and activism. (Greenpeace, invaluable learning opportunities in areas n.d.). such as biostatistics, decomposition and Canada and the United States ecology of local plants, meteorology, and permafrost studies. (Academy of Natural Young people on high school and college Sciences, n.d.). campuses across Canada and the United States have joined the Campus Climate Nepal Challenge to demand 100 per cent clean energy policies at their institutions. More 60 Children in a Changing Climate is a global collaborative programme that undertakes than 30 youth organizations and 600 research, advocacy, and education within campuses are involved. (Campus Climate an action-research framework in partner- Challenge, n.d.). ship with other research and development India organizations. The programme has sever- al areas of focus, including gathering and The Indian Youth Climate Network is a co- assembling children’s perspectives, iden- alition of Indian youth and youth-oriented tifying “child champions” to promote the organizations concerned about climate adoption of environmentally responsible change. The Network has launched, sup- policies at the national and international ported, or participated in a wide range of levels, developing and sharing learning initiatives, including an agents-of-change tools, inspiring child-led action through programme that prepares Indian youth online forums and international networks, delegations for participation in United Na- and sharing stories about how children are tions climate change negotiations; a rural taking action on climate change. (Guatam clean energy project; a campus climate and Oswald, 2008). challenge; a climate leaders programme that provides youth with the leadership Youth involvement in skills they need to initiate grassroots ac- campaigning, lobbying, and tion in their own communities; and a cli- advocacy mate solutions project that includes a website, outreach activities, and an en- Youth organizations engaged in campaign- gagement strategy to promote existing ing, lobbying, advocacy, and networking rep- solutions to climate change. In recent resent the most prevalent and possibly the years the Network has organized a num- strongest form of youth involvement in the cli- ber of Indian youth summits and partici- mate change movement. These organizations pated in various youth festivals. (Indian employ a variety of strategies to achieve their Youth Climate Network, n.d.). United States United Kingdom In February 2009, 12,000 young people The Department for International Devel- from across the United States converged opment held a Youth Consultation event on Washington, D.C., to demand bold, on 20 March 2009, soliciting the views comprehensive, and immediate action on of youth on climate change and the eco- climate change at the national level. The nomic crisis to inform policy-making aim was to persuade the new Obama Ad- by the Department. Fifty young people ministration to reclaim the future of youth between the ages of 16 and 24 were in- through the implementation of ambitious volved (United Kingdom, Department for climate and clean energy policies. Power International Development, 2009). Shift ‘09 built on the momentum gener- ated by the Power Vote campaign, which was initiated by the Energy Action Coali- Youth taking the initiative tion to mobilize 1 million young “climate Young individuals and youth organizations voters” and make the global climate crisis around the world are actively initiating respons- a key issue in the 2008 election. (Power es to climate change. Young people are taking Shift, n.d.). personal and social responsibility for protecting Youth engaging in the world they live in, engaging in stewardship and advocacy aimed at improving the resil- consultation ience of their local environment and strength- ening the relationship between people and their The international frameworks and initiatives natural surroundings. described previously have created numerous opportunities for young people to have their Ghana say. Similarly, several Governments and in- ternational agencies have set up youth advi- The Young Men’s Christian Association 61 sory councils and other consultative initiatives (YMCA-Ghana) is engaged in a project aimed at eliciting the views of youth on climate to curb deforestation and environmental change; some of these are highlighted below. degradation, which is adversely affecting Acknowledging the need for dialogue is a step livelihoods. The project includes a tree- in the right direction, but the extent to which planting programme focusing on women such consultations have resulted in meaning- farmers, who traditionally cannot own ful youth participation is not yet clear. Genuine land, and a youth-run seedling nursery. engagement requires that young people be giv- (World Alliance of YMCAs, n.d.). en the space and opportunity to express their views and that organizations make a commit- India ment to respond to their concerns. The Children International Youth Council in India secured a grant to address cli- International mate change in a rural area near Kolkota. A concept and issues paper entitled “Towards The initiative included reforestation activi- a strategic framework on climate change and ties, efforts to discourage fossil fuel use, development for the World Bank Group” was and a community awareness programme. discussed at a youth consultation event to give Some 1,500 trees were planted by more young people an opportunity to share their in- than 1,000 teenagers and their families. put (World Bank, 2008b). (Children International, n.d.).

Africa and Europe Republic of Korea In the months leading up to the 2007 Af- Korean students from all over the country rica-Europe Youth Summit, consultations participated in the CO2 Zero Eco Campus were held with young people from Africa Competitions, submitting climate-friendly and Europe to obtain their input on global initiatives they had designed. The winners issues, including climate change. (Eu- were provided with funding for their proj- ropAfrica.net, n.d.). ects. (HyunJin, n.d.). 62 Madagascar Columbia University’s Engineers with- Girl Guides attend camps where they are out Borders Uganda Programme have trained as community educators to help pledged to install a multifunctional energy rural women respond to the challenges platform in one farm cooperative in Ugan- of climate change through improved ag- da using jatropha oil as a sustainable fuel ricultural practices (World Association Girl source. Several other campuses in the Guides and Girl Scouts, n.d.). United States have made commitments to infuse climate change awareness and Mexico sustainability into campus culture. (Clin- Manos a la Tierra is a youth-led alliance ton Global Initiative, Commitments De- that has been involved in reforestation ac- partment, 2009). tivities since 2007. With over 6,000 volun- teers, the alliance has planted more than Youth participating in 70,000 trees and has raised awareness policy development about climate change and the importance of water and biodiversity in the Mexico City Policy development constitutes an institu- metropolitan area. (Manos a la Tierra, n.d.). tionalized form of influence that typically has a broader reach than one-time initiatives. Be- Samoa cause policies shape budgets, decisions, and Youth affiliated with the Samoa Red Cross actions at the local, national, and international Society produced a community-based levels, they often have a significant public im- drama with a climate change theme. pact. Over the past few decades young people Working together with the Ministry of have issued repeated demands for a greater Natural Resources and Environment, they say in climate change policy development and were also involved in community-based decision-making but have largely been ignored. vulnerability and capacity assessments There are some notable exceptions, however, and in the implementation of action plans where young people have been empowered 63 they had designed. (International Federa- to help develop climate change policies at dif- tion of Red Cross and Red Crescent So- ferent levels. In some instances, young people cieties, 2009a). have initiated these efforts, while in others, governing organizations have facilitated youth United Kingdom involvement. Both avenues have led to the Student Switch Off is an energy-saving same outcome: youth are finally beginning to initiative in which university residence break through the power barrier and collabo- halls compete to reduce their energy us- rate in shaping the policies that will affect them age. Eleven universities are currently in- in the years to come. volved. (Student Switch Off, n.d.). Europe United States On 15 November 2008, 470 young people The Climate Change Action Club was ini- participated—both virtually and in-per- tiated by two students at Brookline High son—in the first IDEAL-EU pan-European School in Massachusetts. They set up a town meeting on climate change. The “carbon café” where town residents could obtain information on climate change and event, held simultaneously at three ven- pledge to take action to reduce their car- ues in France, Italy, and Spain, included a bon footprint. (Ullman, 2009). full day of discussion and debate focusing on the United Nations policy agenda on United States climate change. Key questions posed and The Clinton Global Initiative University, addressed by youth at the meeting includ- established in 2007, brings young people ed the following: How can Europe reduce together to discuss urgent social and en- its use of fossil fuels? Why are renewable vironmental problems and to undertake energies currently not widespread? What Commitments to Action. Since 2008, measures would be effective in reducing more than 3,000 commitments have been CO2 emissions? How can we reduce the made by students, universities, and youth consumption of energy? What could we organizations. For example, students from change in our daily habits? What’s wrong with the current model of socio-economic The organization’s website includes a wiki development? The participants were able for the development of policy positions. to vote electronically on innovative pro- (SustainUS, n.d.). posals emanating from this brainstorming phase. (IDEAL-EU, n.d.). Youth as partners in Latin America decision-making

The International Student Initiative for Ac- Young people can make important contribu- tion on Climate Change provides young tions and have a significant impact on deci- academics and professionals with the sion-making outcomes when they are given the opportunity to contribute to the develop- opportunity to help frame the issues, develop ment of climate change mitigation policies alternatives, and identify solutions. Youth in- aimed at protecting their region’s tropi- volvement at this level appears to be increasing cal forests. The Initiative is built around a but is still relatively rare. Even less frequently, network of graduate students and young final decisions are placed in the hands of young professionals in Latin America—with re- people and commitments are made to imple- gional teams in Brazil, Colombia, and ment these decisions. In both instances, youth Mexico—who focus on guiding and sup- engage in collaborative and empowered deci- porting the development of public policy sion-making. that addresses the role of tropical for- ests as carbon sources and sinks. Young El Salvador people are involved in multiple aspects of policy development, including conducting In El Salvador, Plan International is ac- background research, engaging in policy tively involving children and young people dialogue, participating in seminars, and in environmental resource management consulting with policy-makers, forest spe- and disaster risk reduction. The country is cialists, members of academia, and other highly vulnerable to disasters, and the risk 64 students. The Initiative has had a genuine is increasing with climate change. Disas- impact on policy in Brazil, Colombia, and ters take a high toll on the population, and Mexico. In Brazil, for example, the efforts children and youth have traditionally been of the regional team led to the develop- among those least able to defend them- ment of new legislation making it more selves against the attendant threats. Plan difficult for banks to finance illegal logging International’s work in this area has had a projects. (International Student Initiative dual focus: raising awareness among chil- for Action on Climate Change, n.d.). dren and youth and engaging them in the implementation of disaster risk manage- Nepal ment activities. The organization’s efforts The Nepalese Youth for Climate Action co- began with the establishment of school- alition has opened discussions on climate based children’s clubs in which students change policy and has developed a draft mapped disaster risks in their area and policy document for stakeholder comment discussed what they could do in the event (Nepalese Youth for Climate Action, n.d.). of a disaster. As the club participants have grown older, they have begun to take an United States active role in managing disaster risk in their SustainUS is a United States-based areas and in lobbying the Government for youth-led organization engaged in grass- change. In one project initiated by a youth roots advocacy and education as well as club, for example, young people success- policy advocacy and development relat- fully lobbied to stop the quarrying of stone ing to sustainability. In an effort to influ- from a riverbed because it was increasing ence policy, SustainUS delegations work the flood risk. In this instance, youth took with Government entities, civil society control of climate change adaptation in groups, and other youth organizations. their community. (Plan International, n.d.). Since 2003, through its agents-of-change United States programme, SustainUS has sent youth delegations to several conferences and The New York University (NYU) Sustain- summits, including the COP sessions. ability Initiative, launched in 2006, is a col- laborative endeavour that brings together broadening their reach. In recent years a num- students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, ber of youth coalitions have banded together and neighbours of NYU to promote bet- under the umbrella of regional and global youth ter environmental performance and a movements. The International Youth Climate green culture on campus. The Initiative’s Movement, for example, is a worldwide coali- advisory body is the Sustainability Task tion of youth organizations working to inspire, Force, whose 60 members represent key empower, and mobilize members of the young- university constituencies and are involved er generation to take action on climate change. in various working groups, outreach ac- Regional networks that have joined the Move- tivities, and the administration of a “green ment include the Australian Youth Climate Coali- grants” fund used to support projects led tion (see box IV.5), itself a coalition of more than by NYU students, faculty, and staff. The two dozen youth organizations from across the various stakeholders have worked togeth- country; the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, er to assess current practices and have made up of 48 youth organizations; the China created a prioritized green action plan for Youth Climate Action Network, which includes NYU. Overall, there is a balanced mixture seven youth environmental organizations; the of student-led and staff-led initiatives. French Youth Coalition for Climate and Social Young people are running and participat- Justice, a collective of 13 youth movements; ing in programmes and activities in areas the Indian Youth Climate Network; the Japan as diverse as bicycle recycling, garden- Youth Ecology League; the Malaysian Youth ing, cooking, project management, and Climate Justice Network; South Asia Youth for research. (New York University, n.d.). Environment Education; and the UK Youth Cli- mate Coalition. Other national, regional, and global coalitions and movements have been Youth mobilizing established that have the same goal as the In- themselves: youth- ternational Youth Climate Movement. (Interna- tional Youth Climate Movement, n.d.). led organizations 65

Although there is some general concern about Box IV.5 youth disengagement, the commitment of young people to civic engagement remains Youth climate campaigning strong. Young activists are effectively combin- “down under” ing new advocacy approaches with the more traditional participatory structures of previous The 50,000-member Australian Youth generations. They are increasingly developing Climate Coalition develops, supports, informal, non-hierarchical ways to communi- and oversees a number of initiatives. cate and organize, using the Internet, mobile Recent activities in which the Coalition telephones, and other high-technology com- has been involved include Power Shift, munication tools; however, membership in for- an Australian youth climate conference mal organizations remains critically important. held in July 2009; an ongoing Youth Climate Leadership Skills programme; Young people are more likely to participate if a petition for the establishment of their peers are involved as well. Youth-led or- strong emissions targets; a green jobs ganizations can provide a framework for young programme; and a school-based pro- people to take action. Youth-led organizations gramme to support advocacy. The Co- around the world are having an impact on the alition has also sent youth delegations climate change agenda and will continue to do to the most recent sessions of the so. Young people are proving that they con- Conference of the Parties to the Unit- stitute a formidable force when they come to- ed Nations Framework Convention on gether under one banner for a specific cause— Climate Change. (Australian Youth Cli- in this case, climate change. mate Coalition, n.d.).

Youth-led organizations may start out as iso- Between 14 and 21 September 2009 lated entities with a limited focus. Eventually more than 37,000 young people they may form coalitions with similar groups, all over Europe and is set up to represent their participated in Youth Decide, Austra- common interests and concerns. The Forum lia’s first national youth climate vote recently adopted a comprehensive position and one of the world’s largest-ever paper on climate change that calls for decisive per capita mobilizations of young peo- action, focusing on adaptation, mitigation, fi- ple on climate change. Youth Decide nancing, and governance. The paper also em- was organized by the Australian Youth phasizes the importance of supporting youth Climate Coalition in partnership with advocacy and of involving young people in World Vision Australia, bringing young decision-making and policy development pro- people together to speak with a united cesses. (European Youth Forum, 2008; Youth voice to compel the Government of Forum Jeunesse, 2009). Australia to demonstrate the leader- The World Association of Girl Guides and ship required to secure an ambitious, Girl Scouts, another ICMYO participant, has fair, and binding global climate agree- worked with the Food and Agriculture Orga- ment at COP 15. A total of 330 youth- nization of the United Nations and UNICEF led voting events were set up to mobi- in developing tools and resources for climate lize youth support. The overall results change education. Available materials include indicated that more than 90 per cent a guide for teachers and youth leaders on how of voters wanted to see a commitment to undertake climate change activities and ini- in Copenhagen to reduce emissions tiatives, an educational booklet, a challenge by at least 40 per cent, and an over- badge, resource packs, and information on whelming 97.5 per cent of young peo- organizing drawing competitions. In addition, ple voted for emissions targets stron- the Association is a partner organization in the ger than those currently proposed by Unite for Climate Web portal, an entry point the Government. (Youth Decide, n.d.). for global youth action on climate change (see

66 above). (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, n.d.). International youth NGOs and regional youth platforms participating in the International Co- As shown throughout this chapter, small NGOs ordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (IC- around the world are playing a crucial role in MYO) have also been active in climate change climate change mitigation and adaptation. initiatives around the globe. ICMYO is held at Unfortunately, their work is often not as well least once a year to strengthen regional and documented as that of the larger, better-fund- international cooperation among youth orga- ed NGOs. Greater attention must be focused nizations and to coordinate political inputs to on the successful initiatives undertaken by all global youth policy processes. Between the types of organizations, regardless of their size meetings, the participating organizations main- or complexity, so that good practices can be tain contact with one another and operate as identified and replicated. an informal network. In order to ensure that the coalition is as representative and inclusive as possible, a special effort is made to solicit the The role of young participation of youth organizations in countries people in promoting and regions that typically receive less attention. The goal is to ensure that the perspectives of and effecting all young people are integrated into global pro- cesses. (International Coordination Meeting of change Youth Organisations, n.d.). Young people can combat climate change not The European Youth Forum, or Youth Forum only as members of youth organizations, but Jeunesse (YFJ), is one of the organizations also as individuals. Each of the world’s 1.2 participating in ICMYO. It is made up of about billion young women and men has an impact a hundred national youth councils and inter- on the environment. Through the choices they national youth NGOs that are federations of make in their everyday lives, they contribute to youth organizations in themselves. YFJ brings the preservation or degradation of their natural together tens of millions of young people from surroundings. 67

Historically, the younger generation has pro- carbon emissions and protect the environment moted change and embraced innovative val- may seem insignificant, they can add up and ues. In many cases, youth have been the initia- make a real difference—especially when entire tors of social movements that have given rise to youth communities take part and young people cultural and social transformations (Maggi and are able not only to alter their own consumer others, 2001). While the young people of today behaviour but also to influence the consump- constitute a major consumer group, many of tion patterns of their peers and families. them are dissatisfied with the consumer societ- ies in which they live and are seeking alternative Young people around the world are increas- lifestyles. This could mean a drive for change. ingly making small but important changes that represent essential steps in their transition to a The main constraints young people face in more sustainable lifestyle. Youth can start right taking action include doubts about how and where they are, and many actually prefer this where to begin, limited confidence in their abil- approach to organized action, promoting and ity to make a difference, inadequate monetary implementing changes in their homes, social resources, competing demands on their time, networks, and local communities. As noted in insufficient encouragement from peers, and a chapter III, consumption choices constitute a lack of political and community support. These key area in which young people can exert a are valid concerns, but they should not be per- positive influence and make a real impact. As ceived as insurmountable obstacles. The fact is figure IV.1 shows, there are many different ar- that young people all over the world can realize eas in which young individuals can take action their aspirations for a better world by introduc- to make their lifestyles greener and more sus- ing small changes in their daily lives, strength- tainable. The suggestions included in the figure ening their commitment to action one step at tend to be somewhat broad, but many of them a time. Although everyday measures to reduce can easily be adapted to local contexts. Figure IV.1 Youth actions for sustainable lifestyles

At home: Shopping Transportation: •• Turning the lights off when behaviour: •• Using public transporta- leaving a room •• Saving rather than spending tion, biking, skating, or walking •• Installing compact fluorescent •• Buying long-lasting products lighting (CFL) •• Combining errands to •• Refraining from buying the avoid extra car trips •• Unplugging idle electronic newest version of a product items if the current version is still •• Carpooling •• Having several members of a functioning well •• Renting a car from time to household share televisions, •• Purchasing environmentally time rather than owning computers, and other elec- friendly products, including one tronic items recycled goods and items •• Avoiding unnecessary •• Wearing an extra layer of cloth- that are easily recyclable and drives ing to reduce the need for biodegradable •• Driving in a more fuel-effi- heating •• Buying used or “vintage” cient manner (for example, •• Reducing the temperature clothing and furniture avoiding quick starts and of the thermostat by a few •• Learning more about the stops and driving slowly) degrees products one buys, including •• Driving a more fuel-effi- •• Opening windows to create a their carbon footprint cient car draft and reducing air condi- •• Choosing eco-labelled and •• Inflating a car’s tires tioner (AC) use 68 ethical-labelled goods and •• Turning a car off rather •• Using a ceiling fan to help cir- services than idling culate cool air •• Choosing goods made/dis- •• Regularly changing a car’s •• Cleaning/replacing dirty AC tributed by manufacturers air filter filters to increase the efficiency and dealers with clear envi- of AC units ronmental and ethical policies •• Using more energy-efficient and related codes of conduct electronics and appliances •• Not making any purchases for Travel: •• Taking showers instead of an entire day •• Travelling less to faraway baths to reduce water use places •• Setting the water heater to 50º •• Engaging in local leisure C (122º F) or lower Civil action: activities •• Using eco-friendly cleaning •• Sharing information on •• If flying cannot be avoid- products sustainable lifestyles with ed, taking direct flights •• Reducing energy use by shar- family and friends •• Avoiding overpacking: ing a residence (not living •• Planting a tree extra weight means more alone) fuel burned and increased •• Conducting research on emissions •• Installing water-saving taps which products and lifestyle and shower heads choices are eco-friendly •• Buying certified carbon offsets •• Using cold water when •• Joining campaigns to possible improve manufacturing and •• Exploring agro-tourism or •• Line-drying clothes employment practices eco-tourism •• Running the dishwasher and •• Staying longer in one washing machine only when location they are full •• Lodging with friends and •• Taking the stairs rather than relatives the elevator Barriers to youth The gap between intent and reality in youth em- powerment is not surprising because decision- engagement and the making mechanisms are rarely set up to allow ordinary adult citizens, let alone young people, way forward to participate in decision-making processes. Institutionalized collaborative decision-making For young people to be successful in driving is difficult to find at any level of governance. change they require a strong support system Consequently, young people—who are typical- that includes parents, teachers, community ly at a relative disadvantage in terms of power and religious leaders, the Government, the pri- and influence—may find it impossible to secure vate sector, the media, and civil society. Vari- a formal place at the decision-making table. In- ous studies have also found that for behaviour stitutionalizing collaboration would require the change to occur, the willingness or need to ad- establishment of a formal relationship in which dress environmental problems must be com- mutual rights and responsibilities are legally plemented by both opportunity (the availability defined and societal sanctions are imposed if of means) and ability (access to means) (Tukker such engagement fails to occur. Official rec- and others, 2008). ognition is essential, but true institutionaliza- tion will occur only when youth participation in Existing infrastructure and social systems decision-making becomes embedded within are not always supportive of positive change. the system and is viewed as the norm. Unfortu- Many countries have still not introduced poli- nately, young people are nowhere near achiev- cies that are specifically designed to promote ing this level of empowerment. environmentally friendly lifestyles. Such sup- portive policies, together with forward-looking urban policies and development planning, can Conclusion be effective in helping youth to take action. For example, improving access to communal ser- The world’s 1.2 billion young people have vices used by young people—including public made it abundantly clear that they want to be 69 transport, libraries, swimming pools, and com- involved in the decisions impacting society and munity gardens or parks—is one important addressing climate change is no exception. means of reducing the multiplication of goods Throughout the world, youth have developed and services associated with highly individual- creative ways to raise awareness, share infor- ized consumption patterns. mation, build capacities, and work together on climate change mitigation and adaptation Political and other systemic barriers may also practices – often achieving impressive results exist that effectively preclude meaningful civic through their own initiatives. engagement among youth. Although youth in- volvement is widespread and the value of youth In recent years, young people are increasingly participation is internationally acknowledged, attending global gatherings on climate change the idea that giving young people a role in so- to express their concerns and press Govern- ciety can lead to better policy outcomes is far ments for action. However, they are often from being universally accepted. The rights and denied participation in decision-making pro- decision-making capacities of young people cesses where their unique perspectives and often remain unrecognized, and their poten- innovative ideas could be integrated toward tial as a valuable resource is seldom realized. more effective policies. Even in countries that acknowledge the need Overall, political progress on the climate to provide young people with opportunities to change agenda has been stagnant as signifi- participate in the policy-making process, youth cant policy adjustments towards more sustain- involvement tends to be highly circumscribed; able patterns of production and consumption the views of young people are sought, but they have not been agreed upon. Delaying action are not allowed to influence decision-making imposes greater sacrificing on the part of youth and therefore remain on the fringes of demo- populations and further strains socio-economic cratic processes. Such restrictions can under- development. Circumstances such as these mine the potential of young people as agents of reverse progress and threaten the very base social change. from which all societies prosper. By and large, traditional economic growth pat- terns are environmentally unsustainable due, in part, to their heavy reliance upon the use of natural resources. Within the international community, consensus is emerging for a de- parture from current models. Enhancing de- velopment frameworks by integrating a Green Growth focus offers a pathway toward the transition to green economies including by ad- dressing policy barriers.

In the residuum of the global financial and eco- nomic crisis arises an opportunity to bridge the gap from rhetoric to action. As policy-makers and economic managers, Governments are called upon to develop a global vision for a more equitable and greener future. Climate change poses a global threat and requires an inter-governmental response as a matter of urgency. However, commitments made at the international level should bear in mind varying national contexts. In order to provide the wid- est possible opportunity for universal imple- mentation, national leadership must be able to translate global models into national strategies.

70 Broad-based partnerships – including Govern- ments, the United Nations, the private sector, civil society and the scientific community – provide stakeholders with a platform to share knowledge and good practices. Partnerships can also diminish the marginalization of rel- evant points of view, including those of youth. Collective action of this nature is key to devel- oping sound policies for thriving green econo- mies.

While halting climate change and reversing its negative effects require steady political will and the implementation of a robust plan of action over the course of many decades, much can be done in the meantime to lay the groundwork for significant progress. With this knowledge and in the spirit of recognizing their positive contributions to society, young people should be encouraged and supported to take part in the universal endeavour to address climate change, including through meaningful partici- pation in decision-making processes. 71