Sir, – Today is International Youth Day, and the United Nations has highlighted the demand for collective action among all generations in order to achieve our sustainable development goals.
Recent studies show that half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this is expected to reach 57 per cent by the end of 2030. They are the people who will inherit the planet, but they must not be left alone in the work to create a better future home.
These days, young people in Ireland face barriers and challenges that previous generations haven’t necessarily had to deal with before. One area in particular is the fight to combat climate change and our young people are taking the responsibility upon themselves to create a more sustainable planet for their future. I believe all other generations should be working alongside them to achieve this goal.
It was reported in 2021 by Eco-Unesco’s Youth Climate Justice Survey that 60 per cent of young people experience eco-anxiety, while 65 per cent of young people felt not enough progress has been made in Ireland over the last year to tackle climate change. This is a collective issue and not something that should solely be left in the hands of our youth.
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This International Youth Day, I’d like to highlight the need to increase support for our young people and encourage the collaboration of every generation to help secure a more sustainable future.
Every generation has a part to play. – Yours, etc,
ELAINE NEVIN,
Eco-Unesco,
Dublin 2.