TakingITGlobal

On March 22, 2018, 14 high school students between the ages of 13 and 17 made history. Representing the perspectives of their peers from high schools in 13 countries, this youth group presented a White Paper to an audience of scientists and decision-makers at the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, Cities and Climate Change Conference, held in Edmonton, Canada. This report delves into the personal stories and perspectives of the approximately 4000 youth who contributed to this report both in Edmonton and through an educational collaboration that led to the report's development, offering compelling evidence of the strong incentives and capacities among youth to contribute to societal efforts to address climate change. This report was made possible through the conduct of a collaborative study into the role of youth in addressing climate change by university students majoring in environmental sciences at the University of Alberta. The study generated several key findings that can guide future efforts of youth, educators, and policymakers to encourage an informed and engaged younger generation to respond effectively, urgently, and with emotional intelligence, to the difficult challenges posed by climate change. Key Findings 1. The emergence of awareness and concern among youth, their opportunities to express that concern in constructive ways, and to make valuable contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation planning, are constrained by several factors. Many youth felt isolated in their concern for climate change, without family members, peers, or teachers who acknowledged or shared their concern. Factors preventing engagement that emerged included implicit or informal factors, such as cultural norms of devaluing the capacities of youth, and explicit factors, as when youth are barred from participation in multiple governance forums. 2. The perceptions of youth about climate change are strongly shaped by local context, and often emerge through experiences with extreme events, or related environmental concerns such as pollution, at the local level. The ability to develop extensive relationships outside that local context, with peers who shared their own personal experiences in very different contexts, generated higher levels of understanding and compassion. 3. The youth involved in this study exhibited a high degree of sensitivity to climate justice, noting acute differences in vulnerability and impacts, as well as responsibility for 02 | E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

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