Youth in climate change action: Bringing young people to the decision-making table
Brief on UNICEF Serbia interventions to include young people in the sustainable climate response
- Available in:
- Srpski
- English
Context
UNICEF Serbia’s country programme 2021-2025, aligned with the national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, draws particular attention to adolescents and youth. Steps must be taken towards ensuring that all adolescent girls and boys in Serbia, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, realize their rights and reach their full potential, are empowered to influence decision-making at all levels and co-create solutions towards building respectful, peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable communities and society.
The UNICEF Serbia’s country programme, the global UNICEF strategy toward youth[1], and the 2030 UN Agenda all highlight the importance of bringing young people to the decision-making processes now. Climate change happens to be on the agenda.
Why climate change?
Climate change and environmental degradation is a context-specific issue that threatens countries’ ecosystems and the well-being of populations. It is also an equity issue; it does not manifest the same way in every region, nor does it impact every individual equally. Young people are among the most affected population groups[2].
UNICEF Serbia published Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) for Serbia that examines the baseline situation of climate, energy, and environment (CEE)-related issues affecting children and how they relate to UNICEF’s priorities.[3]
In addressing climate change issues and the impacts in Serbia, efforts should, among other things, focus on reducing the threat of air pollution and flooding, which are, based on the analytical work behind the CLAC[4] report, proven to have widespread impacts on children and adolescents in both the short and long term.
This summer, which was ranked among the three hottest in Serbia since temperatures have been measured, UNICEF launched a social media campaign on protecting children's health during increasingly frequent, long-lasting, and intense heat waves. A parental guide for very hot summers was designed in cooperation with the Instate of Public health of Serbia Milan Jovanovic Batut[5].
What do young people think about the problem?
Young people tend to be more engaged into decision-making processes if they are aware of the problem and the role which they can play in solving it. To support young people in Serbia to take climate action through their meaningful participation in national dialogues and processes as opportunities to influences decision making processes, such as participation in the national Pre-COP 27 event, UNICEF Serbia consulted young people with the aim to understand their opinion, needs and ideas about new climate ambitions and how they envisage the position of young people and children in the national climate policies.
In September 2022 UNICEF conducted a U-Report poll Climate change/reduction of greenhouse gases[6], launched with the aim of getting an insight into how much young people are aware of the obligations of the Republic of Serbia arising from the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) document that will shape their closest future.
More than 800 young people, mostly aged 15 to 19 responded to the questionnaire.
- Two thirds of the respondents have never heard of the Paris Agreement.
- 85 per cent of youth do not know what NDC means.
- Almost all respondents (92 per cent) do not know that Serbia has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 13.7 per cent till 2030 comparing to 2010.
- To the question “Do you think you have enough ways to convey your opinion on targets and plans to reduce harmful gas emissions to decision makers?”, 43 per cent of respondents said they do not, 37 per cent are not certain, while only 19 per cent said they do.
- When asked who should involve youth in the creation of strategies and policies on climate change, 42 per cent believe it should be the state; 23 per cent think youth should be involved by the youth who are already engaged, 14 per cent mentioned media, while 10 per cent think that this should be done by NGOs.
Additional consultations were organised, and findings showed that young people feel invisible when it comes to their involvement in decision making processes, and they do not see their voice being respected. They also say that there is a need for the climate change data to be available to all citizens at one online location. Young people say they would like to have meetings with experts to learn more about laws and regulations; and they would like to see more financial investment in it. They say it is necessary to include NDC dialogue in formal education and encourage similar discussions in schools and universities.
The other U-Report findings show that young people believe it is a joint responsibility of the governments, polluters, and individuals to protect the environment, and express their readiness to learn more. Nevertheless, 61 per cent say that information on the issue is insufficient and lacking in the Serbian language. 41 per cent are not aware of laws or regulations[7]. Most young people think the air quality is bad (66 per cent) but most of them do not take any protective measures (37 per cent) or do not know how to protect themselves (21 per cent)[8].
They point out the need to stimulate circular economy, protect and restore ecosystems and rely more on renewable energy sources. Many of them (29 per cent) are sure that interests of big companies are the obstacle to it, but also many believe that the lack of awareness of environmental impact is another significant barrier (24 per cent)[9].
Generally, a pessimistic attitude was expressed towards the world's efforts to halve the use of fossil fuels by the beginning of 2031[10].
Support mechanisms
The consultations and the U-Report fundings clearly indicate that there is an urgent need to involve young people in the decision-making processes at the local and national level, raise their awareness and develop strong cases of their participation in Serbia’s green agenda as envisioned in the UN Youth Strategy
The consultations and the U-Report fundings clearly indicate that there is an urgent need to involve young people in the decision-making processes at the local and national level, raise their awareness and develop strong cases of their participation in Serbia’s green agenda as envisioned in the UN Youth Strategy
Youth networks are tackling the problem
According to the UN Youth Agenda, young people must be given responsibility to lead initiatives and connect to decision-makers. UNICEF has been building networks of young activists and non-profit organisations for environment to reach out to various actors. Its key Youth4Air network established earlier in 2022 is an association of youth organizations, informal groups, individuals, and institutions, which affirms and promotes the active and positive role of youth participation in environmental protection. The Network unites over 25 actors and 40 individuals with an aim to advocate for the creation and implementation of initiatives and volunteer activities on air quality available to all young people in Serbia.
In August 2022, the Network delivered the draft of the First Serbian Youth Declaration on Air Quality through joint work of over 700 young people from various parts of Serbia. For the first time ever, the Declaration brings together advocacy strategies and recommendations for community air protection action plans. After finalizing the draft, UNICEF and Youth4Air will work closely with local governments and individual decision-makers to ensure that local action plans on air protection follow the Declaration recommendations and suggestions.
Youth as an important partner to consult
On the margins of the Declaration development, young people have become a powerful actor in shaping the Government’s approach to the revision of policies. UNICEF has ensured the participation of over 75 young people at the National Stockholm+50 Consultations at the Palace of Serbia and the National Stockholm Consultations for Youth in April and May 2022. The inputs from young activists were incorporated in the final National Report on Stockholm+50. Over 200 young people participated at the national level at the last Climate Talks event organized by the Ministry of the Environment.
To strengthen the impact, UNICEF has ensured the participation of two young activists at the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) staring November 6 in Egypt, to bring youth voices from Serbia to the global decision-making. We aim to ensure that youth is seen as a key partner for the green agenda, and as a powerful change maker.
Education and skill building for young people in Serbia
As the abovementioned U-Report findings show, young people are not capacitated well enough in terms of protecting themselves from climate change effects and contributing to reducing them. Serbia lacks youth-friendly materials and non-formal activities to equip young people nationally with a solid understanding of the green agenda. UNICEF sees this gap as one of the major obstacles to bringing every young person to the decision-making processes in their communities.
To close this gap, UNICEF has been building capacities of youth through its flagship UPSHIFT programme[11] which brings youth teams from all parts of Serbia to brainstorm on innovative solutions for better air. In the following cycles, over 750 young people will join.
To strengthen the community level, UNICEF has established an Innovation Lab in Čačak that operate as community hubs where young people can learn air pollution advocacy, environmental literacy, and skills required to influence leaders. The lab involved youth in the development and test of solutions to address air quality concerns and will provide a sustainable space where youth can initiate, create, and engage solutions with duty bearers. With more innovation labs opened in five municipalities of Serbia by the end of 2024, we aim to reach and actively engage over 500 young people.
Besides, UNICEF looks forward to strengthening youth volunteering for better air and has already ensured the participation of over 200 young people in 20 volunteering activities across Serbia.
Social networks are the way to go
To reach young people at a scale, UNICEF will develop educational videos on the effects of air pollution, how to measure it, interpret the data, protect themselves and other relevant topics. To ensure that the videos are youth friendly, age-appropriate and consider the needs of the target group, UNICEF and the production company have established a working group of 20 young people who are involved in the development of the video scenarios and lately will take part in filming. The videos will be promoted by young influences and reach most of the young people in Serbia.
Conclusions
These are both global and local findings that climate change affects every young person, while youth themselves state that they know too little about national and international law, and regulations on it, and how they can contribute to better living conditions. .
UNICEF Serbia has placed young people in the center of the climate change agenda, empowering them to take a lead in their communities and start a dialogue with the decision makers.
We will further build capacities of young people to increase their environmental literacy and improve skills necessary to design and implement changes. We will further insist on a productive and equal dialogue between the Government, institutions and organizations, and young people to revise policies for a more youth-friendly approaches. More young people will be reached for the programmatic activities and be engaged in the working process following the key principle “Nothing for them without them”.