Five things young people can do for
Climate change can feel too large for one person. Yet many of its effects, and many of the solutions, are local: how a town manages water, how a school uses energy, how people travel to work. Young people can influence all of these. Here are five places to start.
1. Measure what is happening around you
Pick one thing in your school, university or neighbourhood and measure it for a few weeks. It could be the electricity used in a building, the water used in a garden or the amount of waste produced in a canteen. Numbers turn a vague worry into a specific question, and they make it easier to convince others.
2. Talk to the people who decide
Find out who manages the building or the service you measured. It might be a school director, a university administrator or a local authority. Present your figures politely, in two or three clear points, and ask for a specific change. Even a small answer is a start.
3. Learn the basics well
Good arguments need facts. Read about climate change and its effects in Morocco and Africa, about how energy is produced, and about the options your community has. Follow reliable sources, check claims before you share them and say so when you are not sure.
4. Work with others
A group is more persuasive than one person, and it shares the work. Join or start a club at your school or university, or contact an association that works on environment or energy. Our Get Involved page explains how to join our community.
5. Share what you learn
Write a short summary of what you found, present it to your class or post it online, with sources. People who see a clear example of local action often feel they can act too.
Our youth programme is being prepared to support exactly this kind of activity. If you want to hear when registration opens, write to us.