“Young people deserve a place at the decision-making table” – Südtirol News

Dubai/Fieldthorns – The COP28 climate conference is currently taking place in Dubai, where policymakers will meet scientists, representatives of international companies and NGOs to discuss global solutions to climate protection. Also participating is behavioral scientist Florian Gasser from Veldthorn, who was invited as a member of the panel by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy. The theme of the episode was “Climate Diplomacy: Young Leaders Take the Floor.” Four young representatives from Europe committed to climate diplomacy and promoting youth interests were invited. They were able to discuss possible solutions to engage younger generations in sustainable decision-making with Professor Emanuela Dossis, UNESCO Head of Climate Diplomacy.

“I was of course very honored when the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy asked me to discuss how we can take global action together to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and how young people around the world can participate. But I also had some concerns because the place is not without criticism. But since the topic In my opinion it is so pivotal and we should definitely take more action globally, I decided to get involved.

Professor Dossis highlighted the important role of young people when it comes to sustainable change and that it is important to “build bridges between individual cultures and nations – but above all between a wide range of professional groups and everyday realities”.

The youth speakers then demonstrated the areas in which they are currently actively involved and how youth can be empowered to take an active role in shaping the future of society.

“I was able to make a central report on my research in the field of consumer behavior, especially on the topic of greenwashing and greenwashing (the latter is the opposite of greenwashing, which has also been observed recently). I was also able to prepare a report on the ThinkTank Zukunft.Fabrik2050 project, where The Young Leaders on the Board project supports young people in getting accepted onto the boards of major companies at an early stage. Finally, I was able to gain an insight into my work as Vice-President of the European People’s Party for Youth, where we actively support young people from all over Europe in developing skills Necessary to exercise political agency in a wide range of areas, says Jacir.

Evangelos Pastras, who supports young engineers in taking an active role in the energy transition, reported on the activities of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations and its role as a climate champion for the UK Institution of Civil Engineers. Irene Sampson, a PhD student at Imperial College London, spoke about her work on Sustainability for Students, an organization she founded. The organization advocates for free access to climate discourse and tries to amplify the voice of young people out there. Human rights expert Rania Papadopoulou painted a positive picture as young people need greater participation if we are to achieve current (climate) goals.

“We need more young people who are very confident and encouraged to take up important decision-making positions. It’s not just about being able to have a say on an advisory committee, it’s also about being able to have a direct say at the decision-making table.” “Especially if we are striving to make long-term decisions — which we certainly should — we should not give up that fresh air and innovative ideas,” says Gasser.

At the end of the event, Alexandra Sodouko, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy of Greece, announced that with the support of some sponsors, the South-Eastern Europe Youth Climate Diplomacy Forum will be established, which will bring together committed young people in order to discuss further important measures to provide advice in this area and be able to bring Possible solutions from ministries. “The Ministry has asked us committee members to play an active role here and I look forward to continuing the work here. Only through cross-border cooperation can we solve the biggest challenges of our time together – and I hope the outcome of the negotiations at COP28 is a step in the right direction,” said Jacir. .

From: Luke