Youth to decide on their climate change future

Friday, September 11, 2009

Australia’s youth, who will be the most impacted by climate change, will for the first time have their say on the action they want global leaders to take, with the launch today of Youth Decide. 

Organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and World Vision Australia, Youth Decide is a national campaign allowing 12 to 29 year olds to register to join the movement and then cast their vote online from 14 to 21 September. 

Amanda McKenzie, co-director of AYCC and this year’s winner of the Banksia Young Environmentalist of the Year Award said the future of the world’s youth was at stake. 

“Youth Decide is about giving the generation who will be most affected by the decisions made at Copenhagen the opportunity to vote for the world they want to inherit,” Ms McKenzie said. 

“Approximately 50 youth from Canberra are here today to address politicians who will this week be making decisions in Parliament on the CPRS legislation. 

“While the government can rescue irresponsible financial institutions and hand consumers cash, the environment won’t respond to stimulus packages. Inadequate action will leave us with an irreversible debt that we won’t be able to spend our way out of,” she said. 

World Vision’s CEO Tim Costello said throughout history young people had been at the front of movements for social and political change and had an important role to play in the climate change debate. 

“Businesses, unions, resource groups, environmentalists, scientists, governments are all clamoring to be heard, but we need to give voice to the very people who will be most impacted by our decisions,” Mr Costello said. 

Alana Smith, National Director of World Vision’s youth movement, Vision Generation, said Youth Decide was sending a message to governments all around the world that young people cared deeply about the future of the planet and wanted to take part in the solution. 

“Many young people are passionate about climate change but feel frustrated that individual voices aren’t being heard,” Ms Smith said. “We’re changing that by coordinating a youth movement that all young people can join. 

“We are talking with schools and universities right across Australia and organizing local events run by young people where they can learn how policy will impact climate change outcomes.” 

Drawing on research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Youth Decide is working with leading Australian Climate Scientists to summarise likely outcomes for the various emission reduction targets governments are proposing. This will then form part of the vote. 

Professor Dave Griggs, CEO of ClimateWorks Australia, Director of the Monash Sustainability Institute said young people deserved to understand what their world could look like based on the policy decisions on the table. 

“Climate change will have dire impacts on the health of the Great Barrier Reef, the livelihood of plant and animal species, the worldwide production of food, the availability of water and on the ability of the world’s poorest to survive,” Prof Griggs said. 

Ms McKenzie said the vote results would be shared with Australia’s government leaders and then taken to the United Nations during Climate Week in New York in September and to Copenhagen in December. 

“We are encouraging all young Australians to visit www.youthdecide.com.au to register to vote and to receive news and updates about how they can get involved in their local area.” 


Media contact: 
Tamara Blackmore: 0400 689 714 

Media Releases, Climate change, Asia and the Pacific, Australian Government, AYCC, Climate Change, Tim Costello, Young People

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