GLOBAL YOUTH IN THE FOREFRONT OF CLIMATE CHANGE MOVEMENTS
UPSC MAINS SOCIOLOGY SYLLABUS
Paper 2 – Section C
(v) Social Movements in Modern India:
(a) Peasants and farmers movements.
(b) Women’s movement.
(c) Backward classes & Dalit movement.
(d) Environmental movements.
(e) Ethnicity and Identity movements.
(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:
(a) Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.
(b) Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.
(c) Violence against women.
(d) Caste conflicts.
(e) Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
(f) Illiteracy and disparities in education.
INTRODUCTION
Young people are increasingly at the forefront of climate change activism. Around 70% of people aged 16-25 are extremely worried or very worried about the climate, according to a study covering 10 countries and published in The Lancet. The world is home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 to 24 — the largest generation of youth in history. Young people are increasingly aware of the challenges and risks presented by the climate crisis and of the opportunity to achieve sustainable development brought by a solution to climate change. Young people’s unprecedented mobilization around the world shows the massive power they possess to hold decision-makers accountable.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN EMERGENCY CRISIS
Our world today is already 1 °C warmer than it was in the pre-industrial era. If global warming continues at the same rate, that increase is likely to reach 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2052. Climate change is
putting the health and well-being of billions of people at increased risk. Extreme weather events, such as droughts and heatwaves, and their effects, such as rising sea levels and wildfires, directly affect health and can lead to physical injuries or heat-related deaths. Climate change also has indirect effects on health and well-being due to ecological changes, such as food and water insecurity and the spread of climate-sensitive infectious diseases, and by contributing to diseases spread by animals to humans, such as Ebola, avian influenza, Zika virus and now the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Other social and economic impacts of climate change include forced migration and civil conflict, loss of homes and livelihoods and reduced access to essential services, such as education and health care.
GLOBAL YOUTH TAKING A STAND
Time and again, youth have used multiple ways to express their political agency against social, economic, and environmental policies that contribute to climate change and environmental degradation. Notably, individual youth have been participating in international negotiations related to environmental and sustainable development issues since the Rio Summit in 1992.
However, there is a marked difference between the youth activism of the 21st century and that of previous generations. While youth mobilization for climate action began in Europe and USA, today we can notice a rapid emergence of youth climate activism amongst the developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. For instance, the rapid decentralization of international coalitions like the Youth Climate Movement and Extinction Rebellion to sub-national and local levels in developing countries has attracted youth ranging from school students (Fridays For Future) to university students.
Young people continue to take on a leading role in influencing, advocating, and demanding for responsible climate behaviour and stronger political will from governments and the private sector. During COP26, young leaders presented a Global Youth Position statement, representing the views of over 40,000 young leaders demanding that their rights be guaranteed in climate change agreements. School strikes for climate have been recorded in over 150 countries, gaining widespread attention from the public and media.
Young leaders have raised awareness in their communities, promoted lifestyle changes and concrete solutions, and advocated for the rights of vulnerable groups, including Indigenous people, who are often excluded from decision-making. Young people played an important role in the Climate Promise. While young people were largely ignored in earlier Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) now 75 percent of Climate Promise countries prioritize youth in developing their NDCs, primarily through consultations, raising awareness and advocacy campaigns.
HOW CAN WE ENHANCE THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS?
Engage and harness their skills
There is data to suggest that young people are taking the initiative to address climate change, from volunteering with organizations to donating to environmental initiatives. They must be encouraged to actively contribute to the current climate action framework and help build a green future.
Invest in youth-led solutions
Young people are developing products and services, and leading campaigns to build a green world. For example, Rafael Alonso is building Cultivo – a startup unlocking investments for nature restoration; Jennifer Uchendu leads SustyVibes, a social enterprise making sustainability actionable for young Africans. There are various innovative solutions that are credible and scalable, in need of support. Governments, businesses and investors must support youth-led solutions to climate change through grants, venture capital, debt financing, or in-kind support.
Give young people a seat at the table
For climate-related decision-making to be inclusive and all-encompassing, youth inclusion should not be an afterthought. As governments set and review NDCs and develop policies that have climate implications at the national and global levels, young people should be represented and involved in this process. Effective climate action must be inclusive, allowing everyone to contribute their quota.
CONCLUSION
Young people have been ignored in climate decisions for far too long and can no longer be seen as merely means to an end. It is their present and their future that’s at stake. Their concerns and their solutions must be at the heart of all decision-making. Empowering young people presents a historic, transformational, and collective opportunity to advance an inclusive green recovery, accelerate progress on the SDGs and to lay the foundation for a peaceful and sustainable future.
