Young People demand urgent action on climate change
One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of dialogues around climate change is the intergenerational tensions which the topic can throw up. In the run up to the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in 2009, young people repeatedly voiced their desire to have more of a say in decisions which would determine the level of ecological debt they will be inheriting. In response, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), with support from Sciencewise-ERC, set up a Youth Advisory Panel, made up of people aged 15 to 25, which in December 2010 published a report on the fairness of different energy mixes.
The report presents a picture of a generation aware of the challenges ahead and eager to make the necessary changes, particularly in the area of increasing use of renewable energy. The panel lists specific recommendations, but it also insists that the overarching responsibility of decision makers to work hard to safeguard their future is a ‘requirement’ rather than a recommendation. It states ‘we challenge decision-makers to guarantee young people that we will have a liveable planet in 2050. Anything less would be morally irresponsible.’
In order to develop these recommendations, the panel took part in an in-depth dialogue process. As it reported, ‘Our approach to this investigation has been to find out for ourselves about the different types of energy that currently exist in the UK, as well as proposed ideas for new technologies. The Panel travelled around the country (in small groups) to visit places, such as power stations, community owned energy projects as well as projects that work towards reducing energy demand.’ The panel also consulted with other young people, quizzed experts (including DECC policy officials), and ran face-to-face workshops and online surveys.
The commitment by DECC to an informed, deliberative and open dialogue has been important in giving young voices a legitimate place in the decision-making process around climate change.