It\’s Getting Hot In Here

Charlie Young is a 16 year-old climate activist from the UK. He recently went to the World Economic Forum to push economic and political leaders on climate action and wrote this report on his experience in Davos.

I’ve left the World Economic Forum with a new understanding of what we can do. The clockwork of the decision making infrastructure was briefly exposed to me, and I was forced by logic to change my perception of those in power.

Many of my fellow activists have argued that we need to destroy the system in order to avert catastrophic climate change. I found that idea difficult, as it seems to me that the WEF is here to stay. It is not going to be destroyed by campaigners refusing to be involved. Surely we have more power by getting inside, using the access to hold politicians to their promises, push for real solutions, and help design concrete plans for moving forward?

Make no mistake, it is vital to highlight the bad judgements of our decision-makers and pressure them to move in the right direction. But that alone won’t solve the problem. Don’t we need carrots as well as sticks?

In Davos, I found that some politicians and business leaders really do care. But how can a CEO of a multinational act without loosing their job? I’m not saying they’re all saints – they’re not. Yet, rather than try and put all our eggs in one basket, we can give them a platform, a mandate, to do the right thing.

And it’s not all down to ‘them’ either. As unaffiliated individuals we have a tremendous power to facilitate change on the ground. My mission statement is pretty much the same as the WEF’s: ‘to better the state of the planet’ only we have little structure or vested interests hindering our progress.

It’s ironic. As an activist I’m now trying to help the government. I am going to mobilise the public so that rather than the unlikely event of the government being forced into submission, those who want to make the right decisions can. Granted, we can’t just sit and clap and hope for good – nothing will happen. We need to make it politically feasible, or better, politically attractive.

How great would it be if government could gain votes by acting on climate change?

Let’s make that happen. Let’s supply solutions. Let’s keep going and bring this movement forward!

Yours with hope,

Charlie Young.