Think2050

In February 2010 the UK Government Department of Energy and Climate Change responded to the request of a number of Youth Organisations and convened a Pilot ‘Youth Advisory Panel.’

The idea is that young people have the opportunity to meet with policy makers and Ministers from their government and talk about the issues that affect them.  The Panel ran as a successful Pilot for the rest of 2010 and Kirsty Schneeberger was invited to coordinate the project for this first year.

The Youth Panel published its first report on Energy in December 2010 and as a result of the first year being such a success it is now formally established as an independent body of young voices who are speaking up on behalf of their generation.

Young people have been participating in the UN policy process and calling for their interests to be recognised by their leaders since about 1992 and the Rio Conference.

In the UK, the UK Youth Climate Coalition was established in 2008 to ‘unite the youth movement for a clean energy future.’  It organises delegations of young people to travel to the UN and participate in the processes that result in decisions being made about the future.

Think2050 works to bring the voices of young and future generations to decision makers, not just in the UK, but around the world.  After all, the future belongs to them.  They deserve a say in what it will be like.