Climate change is political

Current Project

Influencing Policy

What we do

We give our generation a voice in the political decision-making process by directly engaging in policy and supporting young people to be active citizens.

1. We respond to consultations so young people’s views are taken into account by government. All our policy positions are directly based on surveys and focus groups we conduct with the 2050 Leaders Network, and young people more broadly.

2. We run workshops and events to facilitate understanding of policy issues and processes. Examples include a panel on the impact of Brexit on the environment, speed-networking events with political parties, and workshops on writing letters to elected representatives.

3. We support Young Leaders in taking action on the policy issues they want to address on all levels of governance. We support 2050 Climate Group’s educational activity while also helping build our presence in the Scottish policy space.

Representing young people
During the 2021 Scottish National Elections, we shared the election priorities of young people and empowered our audiences to make an informed vote by providing a detailed breakdown of the main manifesto promises on climate action.

In 2018, were invited to speak in Scottish Parliament, as part of the Stage 1 scrutiny process of the Climate Change Bill. Siri Pantzar, one of our volunteers, gave evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. She called for a net-zero emissions target, and for young people to have a seat at the table in setting out future climate policy.

Increasing political awareness on climate change:
Budgeting for the Climate Crisis - a podcast mini-series we launched in 2021 equipped our audience of young people with accessible understanding of what the Scottish budget means for our climate ambitions, and how young people can influence future Scottish budgets.

Contributing ideas
We regularly respond to government consultations, write blog articles on current policy issues and participate in a number of initiatives seeking to bring a youth voice to wider efforts to create a just and sustainable society. Over the past year we contributed to the Climate Emergency Response Group, Edinburgh Climate Commission, Decoupling Advisory Group and the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital.