Youth and Environment Europe

  • Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) is the largest independent European network of environmental youth organizations. YEE unites 52 member organisations coming from 30 countries.
  • Our mission is to unite environmental youth non-profit organisations in Europe. YEE goal is to mitigate the climate crisis by:
    • raising awareness and building capacity among youth on the climate crisis;
    • enhancing international cooperation and knowledge-sharing among our members;
    • strengthening the participation of youth in environmental and climate decision-making processes.

G20

  • The G20 is the international forum that brings together the world’s major economies. Its members account for more than 80% of world GDP, 75% of global trade and 60% of the population of the planet.

Its members are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

  • Every year, the intergovernmental forum addresses some of the most pressing global issues. Previous summits have addressed the 2008 financial crisis, the Iranian nuclear program, and the Syrian civil war.
  • Unsurprisingly, the climate is on the agenda this year. However, the ambition to tackle the climate crisis might fall short in light of current challenges.
  • The Italian Presidency’s slogan is “People, Planet, Prosperity” – with the idea of not leaving anyone behind. However, G20 leaders still need to go a long way to prove that their actions reflect their words. This position paper states what needs to be done and what we want the implementation of higher standards to look like.

Young people and decision making

  • YEE advocates for the overall importance of involving young people in the decision making process and ensuring that our generation’s voice is heard in matters that have to do with our future and livelihood. The G20 has enormous power when it comes to shaping policies and decisions that will tremendously impact our lives. As a result, presenting demands in line with our priorities is of paramount importance.

Demands

In order to present said demands, YEE organized a webinar with experts and conducted a consultation with our Members, asking what they would consider priorities and key demands for the G20. After working with our team and identifying major points of interest, we are presenting the following demands:

  1. For the Rome Summit and the G20 to take responsibility for their role in shaping not only their own, but the world economy by supporting less wealthy countries and to do so by:
    1. Ensuring that the weight of the economic toll that countries are suffering or will suffer due to climate change-induced crises is taken up by G20 countries, so that truly no one is left behind – taking responsibility for the role they played in exacerbating the climate and environmental crisis;
    2. Take action to support a just green transition, both within and outside their countries, always in accordance with principles of equity, self-determination and human rights.
  2. For the Rome Summit and the G20 to include young people in the conversation on economic, social, political and environmental developments and to do so by:
    1. Raising awareness, but also according youth’s right to a seat at the table and to be not only heard but listened to, to make sure political decisions are long-sighted and will have a significant long-term impact;
    2. Ensuring the voices of young people are representative of the diverse needs and realities of their generation – specifically accounting for the huge barrier to youth involvement posed by economic difficulties, but also race, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation and other factors of discrimination.
  3. For the Rome Summit and the G20 to take into consideration the question of inter-generational debt when looking at prosperity and to do so by:
      1. Take climate action now in order to ensure that the burden of fighting against climate change and climate change-induced crises will not uniquely fall upon the next generation;
      2. Challenging the current mindset of exponential growth which is not sustainable in light of the strains it poses to our environment and health.