Planet Under Pressure Conference – Youth Voice

Sciencewise-ERC funded project 2011- 2012

Background

Planet Under Pressure 2012 is a major international conference focusing on solutions to the global sustainability challenge. It aims to provide scientific leadership towards the 2012 UN Rio +20 conference and identify opportunities for enhanced partnerships between research, policy, industry and the public.

Find out more about the project background

Aims and Objectives

To select and prepare a group of around a dozen young people (aged approx. 14-18) who have an interest in one or more of the following research areas:
o    Sustainable development, energy, food, water
o    Ecology, biodiversity, global systems, climate change
o    Construction, the built environment, logistics, transport, engineering
International policy-making and governance in science

Delivered By

Research Councils UK (RCUK)
The strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils

The Royal Society
The Royal Society is a Fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
NERC funds world-class science in universities and our own research centres that increases knowledge and understanding of the natural world.

LWEC
LWEC is a ten year environmental research programme which represents a partnership of organisations

British Science Association
Provides opportunities for people of all ages to learn about, discuss and challenge the sciences and their implications. The British Science Association is responsible for delivering this project

OPM
OPM is an independent centre for the development of public services and provides consultancy, research and leadership development. OPM will be responsible for the evaluation of the project.

Latest Status Update

Planet Under Pressure Conference presentation (26 March 2012)

Participant blog post by young person, Jess Wynn

Planet Under Pressure Conference welcomes youth voice participants

The voice of youth” scheduled in open plenary session of Planet under Pressure conference on 26 March 2012

Workshop with young people held in November 2011

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Key Impacts

•   A number of delegates described feeling moved by the speech and presence of young people at the opening ceremony. Their presence was seen as an important reminder that the consequences of decisions being made would be inherited by the next generation.

•   The young people all stated that being involved in the project had made them more interested in environmental change. For a few, this cemented their plans and ambitions to pursue scientific and environmental courses and careers.

•   Seven ‘vox pops’ with members of the Youth Voice project and the questions from their speech have been featured on the STEPs Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) website.

Resources

Project Quotes

“I didn’t realise the importance before, of getting the public to know what they can do”

Youth Voice member

“They [researchers] didn’t give us so much information or input that they gave us the answer but they guided us gently so it was all our work”