Youth respond to climate inaction

Th #Youth4Climate pre-COP event is on right now in Milan with 400 international youth champions presenting their big ideas for achieving a sustainable future. Greta Thunberg has already spoken at the event, where she decried decades of inaction and sounded a ‘blah, blah, blah’ warning about promises world leaders have made about building back better and reaching net zero by 2050.

The audience in Milan is made up largely of young people aged between 15 and 29, who were selected to ensure a geographical and gender balance. There is a packed programme and still time for people to get involved online. This afternoon a webinar titled: Empowering youth for climate action, is an opportunity for young people to quiz decision makers on their strategies. It is on from 3pm-4.30pm CEST, sign up to take part.

“The 400 young people from all over the world attending Youth4Climate will address the main urgencies and priorities of climate action by working around four themes: youth driving ambition; sustainable recovery; non-state actors’ engagement; climate-conscious society. Each theme corresponds to a working group which will be led by two people: a youth representative and a senior expert from international organisations,” the event website sates.

Follow the action from Milan and add your voice on social media #Youth4Climate.

Young pioneers

Greta Thunberg’s work has galvanised young people worldwide to take a stand against inaction on climate change. The effect has been clear for everyone to see and the impact being made by this younger generation was celebrated recently in the award-winning documentary NOW. 

Innovators Magazine is a proud media partner of the film, which was created and written by Claudia Rinke, a regular contributor to the magazine, and directed by Jim Rakete.

“Having worked internationally for the UN for several years I am aware how crucial the current young generation is for the course the world takes next. So I wanted to make a film and NOW is a documentary about these young environmental activists,” Rinke said. “At the same time as the climate movement was gathering momentum we had the rare opportunity to document this process from the beginning; we were there when history was written.”