Out now: The Environment Youth Takeover, September 2023

Listening to young voices

This issue of The Environment is brought to you by young people from across the globe, from youth writers who are driving climate action and questioning some of the world’s biggest environmental problems.

Our Early Careers Network debates whether the public or private sector has the most important role in driving climate action. They consider legislation, awareness, innovation, and funding, examining how these elements can be used to deliver the climate solutions we need.

Sudanese climate activist Nisreen Elsaim highlights why listening to people’s real needs is so important and tells us why she speaks out on behalf of less developed countries and youth.

And she’s not the only one urging for real solutions. From prioritising the move to more sustainable food systems, to making our rivers cleaner for future generations, to turning waste plastic pollutants into a resource, every article questions if we are doing enough in the face of the climate crises.

But there is hope. Young people across Wales are acting for nature on a pioneering project being delivered by the Wildlife Trusts. And Kieran Murnane travelled to the Norfolk Broads to see how The Broads Authority are enhancing the resilience of ecosystems and keeping young people at the centre of their efforts.

Our writers recognise the mental toll that it takes to be an environmentalist these days. But TV presenter Megan McCubbin urges us to look local when we feel overwhelmed with eco-fatigue. This is not her only passion. She tells us why it’s so important to make science communications accessible in the fight against climate and ecological disaster, including those with neurodiversity.

And diversity is so important. In the UK, our cities frequently lack accessibility and are sometimes unsafe for people with disabilities to navigate. Helena Du-Roe wonders how we can tackle this issue.

The need to ensure young people are equipped with the skills and experience needed for successful careers in the sector is real. Which is why we caught up with some of the students, graduates, and employers from Harper Adams University to find out the power of placements.

Continue the conversation and join our Early Careers Network – a space to integrate fresh perspectives into all CIWEM’s work.

Kieran Murnane, Sophia-Harri Nicholaou, Helena Du-Roe, Lottie Harold, Sian Platt, Emily Shipton

Guest editors

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