Guest blog: "You are a part of making a successful future."

This guest blog comes to us from 2050 Climate Group board member, Mike Elm.

To mis-quote Kennedy, building a successful future - a big part of which will involve tackling climate change - is about helping yourself, but yourself as part of a community, a society, a civilisation, a living-planet.

We need all (lawyers, accountants, engineers, hair-dressers, DJs, painters, builders, bankers, teachers, app developers, designers etc etc.) be involved in creating a successful future because when it comes to climate change, we are all in it together. Yes, some will feel it harsher, sooner but there will not be anyone - under a certain age - who will not be impacted by it.

But forget this reality, stark as it is. Because taking action to tackle climate change is the biggest opportunity to make a successful future for ourselves. And I mean success in the fullest sense of the word.

For me success means high levels of well-being and happiness for everyone. Clean air, good jobs, good health, plenty of free time, delicious food, abundant access to good quality nature. And all this with the knowledge that we can enjoy it and, if we choose to have them, so can our children and theirs and so on.

There is undeniably a long way to go, a very very long way to go, but there are some fantastic movements in the right direction (*cough* 2050 Climate Group *cough*). There's much to be done. And this really is the opportunity, because no matter your passion there's a role for you. There is something that you can be part of changing in your workplace, in your personal life, in influencing the politicians that represent you.

The 2050 Climate Group Young Leaders Development Programme, currently recruiting for people just like you, is an awesome way for you to get the knowledge and the skills to play your part.I don't, personally, give a damn about making a 'low-carbon' Scotland, I care about making Scotland, and the world, better. This will require it to be low-carbon but will be about everything else that success means.You, no matter your passions, have a role to play in creating this great, exciting, successful, happy future. I look forward to being a part of making it with you and the 2050 Climate Group aka (almost) all of the best people I've ever met.