5- ACTION-Acting for Sustainability (16-25 years)
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ACTION
ACTING FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
Climate change has become the defning issue of our
time, posing an existential threat to humanity. Whether
democracies can drastically reduce their carbon
footprints in the coming years will determine the
outcome of the climate crisis. The efects of climate
change on food security, conficts, water scarcity,
migration, and natural disasters have a signifcant
impact on democratic governance. It also tests the ways
in which democracies cooperate and collectively
confront issues that are relevant to humankind. It is
crucial for democracies to formulate and implement
efective responses to climate change to meet the needs
of current and future generations.
However, climate change actions in democracies face
perceived challenges such as short-term bias in
decision-making, policy capture or inconsistency, weak
accountability mechanisms, and the infuence of money
in politics on the policy-making process, adverse to
fghting climate change.
Despite these challenges, democracy has intrinsic value
to citizens and also brings critical advantages in
formulating efective climate policy. Representative
parliaments can hold governments to account,
widespread civic participation and independent media
provide a free fow of information. The active
engagement of civil society organizations in
DEMOCRACY AND THE
CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
POLITICAL SYSTEMS
AND SUSTAINABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES: Political systems should
develop and implement policies that protect the
environment and promote sustainable development.
These policies should focus on reducing greenhouse gas
emissions,
promoting
renewable
energy
sources,
conserving biodiversity, and protecting ecosystems.
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS: Political systems should
promote education and awareness on sustainability issues.
This includes educating citizens on the impact of their
actions on the environment and providing information on
sustainable practices.
ECONOMIC INCENTIVES: Political systems should provide
economic incentives for sustainable practices. This includes
providing tax breaks for businesses that implement
sustainable practices, and ofering subsidies for renewable
energy projects.
INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION:
Political
systems
should work with other countries to promote global
sustainability eforts. This includes participating in
international agreements and treaties, such as the Paris
Agreement,
and
collaborating
on
research
and
development of sustainable technologies.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION: Political systems should
encourage citizen participation in sustainability eforts. This
includes involving citizens in the decision-making process
and providing opportunities for public engagement on
sustainability issues
Overall, political systems must prioritize sustainability by
implementing policies that protect the environment,
promote sustainable development, and encourage citizen
participation. By doing so, we can ensure a sustainable
future for generations to come.
Political systems play a crucial role in promoting
sustainability, as they are responsible for creating
policies and laws that can protect the environment
and promote sustainable development. In order to
work for sustainability, political systems should include
the following components:
“LONDON, Oct 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Climate change
poses "an existential challenge" for democratic governments and
could lead to more authoritarian rule if eforts to curb global warming
founder, fuelling a surge in catastrophic impacts from hunger to
heatwaves, researchers warned on Tuesday.
Worsening disasters and the resulting societal upheaval could "be
used as an excuse for autocratic ... regimes to curtail democratic
freedoms, as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic," warned a
report from the nonproft International Institute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
But democracies could take steps now to shore up their ability to deal
with climate change, from lowering the voting age and making it
easier to fle class-action lawsuits to tackling disinformation and
setting a carbon price, it noted.
LEAVING NO-ONE BEHIND:
POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE SDGS
“WHAT ROLE FOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE
SDGS?”
Political parties are a critical component of modern democracies
worldwide. They play a pivotal role in ensuring that citizens are
empowered and that inclusion and equality are upheld. Political
parties act as a bridge between society and political decision-makers.
They help aggregate social demands and convert them into political
decisions.
Political parties are essential to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). They help guide the actions of
government institutions and civil society organizations towards
establishing efective measures to overcome structural inequality. It is
this inequality that often acts as a barrier to making more signifcant
progress towards the SDGs.
In summary, political parties serve as a critical link in the democratic
process. They help ensure that the voices of the people are heard, and
that policies and decisions refect the needs and desires of society.
They are instrumental in achieving the SDGs and creating a more equal
and just world for all.
DEMOCRACIES THAT FAIL TO ACT
ON CLIMATE CHANGE FACE
'EXISTENTIAL' THREAT
policymaking and the capacity for institutional learning helps address
complex issues with long-term and global social and political
implications.
In summary, while climate change poses signifcant challenges to
democratic governance, democracy can play a crucial role in
formulating efective responses to climate change. Through
representative parliaments, civic participation, independent media,
and civil society engagement in policymaking, democracies can
overcome these challenges and work together to mitigate the efects
of climate change for a sustainable future.
“Amongst the forms of participatory democracy which
can complement and enrich the work of representative
institutions, citizens’ assemblies are the best placed to
harness the collective wisdom and allow citizens to
reclaim the public space, providing the authorities with
useful information on people’s preferences and
indications on how to reconcile a multitude of
conficting interests.”
WHY POLITICIANS HAVE
FAILED TO TACKLE CLIMATE
CHANGE
Global warming is the defning threat facing the planet.
So why has so little been done to curb it?
MORE PARTICIPATORY
DEMOCRACY TO TACKLE
CLIMATE CHANGE
"This is the time to be bold, and experiment and rethink," said
Kevin Casas-Zamora, the Costa Rican secretary-general of
International IDEA, a Sweden-based intergovernmental
organisation
that
works
to
strengthen
democratic
institutions.
As threats from a heating planet grow, "we cannot simply do
business as usual with democracy", said the politician and
lawyer."
P L AY V I D E O
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE SO
POLITICAL?
In this Our Changing Climate environmental video essay, I
take a brief look at why the environment has become such a
partisan issue since the 1970s. Specifcally, I look at how
neoliberalism
and
free-market
ideology
has
made
environmental issues such as climate change into a republican
vs. democrat issue. Neoliberalism sprouted up in the 1970s
and with the rise of free-market neoliberal champions like
Ronald Reagan and Margret Thatcher, environmental issues
began to transform into issues about regulation.
P L AY V I D E O
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON THE
POLITICAL IMPACT OF THE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
GOALS
In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable
Development
Goals
as
the
central
normative
framework for sustainable development worldwide.
The efectiveness of governing by such broad global
goals, however, remains uncertain, and we lack
comprehensive meta-studies that assess the political
impact of the goals across countries and globally. We
present here condensed evidence from an analysis of
over 3,000 scientifc studies on the Sustainable
Development Goals published between 2016 and April
2021. Our fndings suggests that the goals have had
some political impact on institutions and policies, from
local to global governance. This impact has been
largely discursive, afecting the way actors understand
and communicate about sustainable development.
More profound normative and institutional impact,
from legislative action to changing resource allocation,
remains rare. We conclude that the scientifc evidence
suggests only limited transformative political impact of
the Sustainable Development Goals thus far.
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY
The barriers to environmental sustainability are not
only technical. They are also political. Passing laws that
lower emissions, creating incentives for technological
innovation, and striking alliances and treaties across
countries — all require political agreements. Progress
on
environmental
sustainability
requires
understanding politics. It requires an understanding of
political institutions and political actors, and of how
issues of sustainability evolve within political systems.
This conference showcased research at the intersection
of politics and the environment, and in this podcast
episode we describe some of what was learned.
P L AY V I D E O
There are several ways to identify the relevant political
stakeholders for sustainability in your country. Here are a
few steps you can take:
RESEARCH GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES:
Start by researching the government structures in your
country. Find out about the diferent branches of
government and how they work together. This will help
you identify the key decision-makers who can infuence
sustainability policies.
IDENTIFY POLITICAL PARTIES:
Political parties play a signifcant role in shaping
government policies. Research the diferent political
parties in your country and their stances on sustainability.
This will help you understand which parties are most
aligned with your sustainability goals.
RESEARCH KEY POLITICIANS:
Once you have identifed the political parties in your
country, research the key politicians who hold positions of
power. Look into their backgrounds and their voting
records on sustainability-related issues.
IDENTIFY
RELEVANT
GOV
DEPARTMENTS:
Sustainability issues can fall under the responsibility of
several government departments, such as environmental
protection agencies, energy departments, or agriculture
departments. Identify the relevant departments in your
country and research their policies and priorities.
LOOK INTO CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS:
Civil society organizations play a crucial role in advocating
for
sustainability
policies.
Research
the
relevant
organizations in your country and their initiatives related to
sustainability. They can also provide information on key
stakeholders and decision-makers.
Overall, identifying relevant political stakeholders for
sustainability in your country requires research and
understanding of government structures, political parties,
politicians, government departments, and civil society
organizations. By following these steps, you can identify
key decision-makers and advocate for sustainability
policies that align with your goals.
WHO ARE THE RELEVANT
POLITICAL STAKEHOLDERS
IN MY COMMUNITY?
THE EVOLUTION OF PRIVATE
SECTOR ACTION IN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The private sector, which includes businesses and
companies, used to be known for fghting against policies
that
promote
sustainable
development.
However,
nowadays, there are many companies that see themselves
as partners in achieving sustainable development. They
understand that sustainable development is not only good
for the planet, but also for their businesses in the long run.
These companies and private sector actors use a variety of
ways to pursue sustainable development. They may have
sustainability models for their business or engage in
corporate social responsibility activities. Philanthropists,
impact investors, and institutional investors also work with
governments and civil society organizations to promote
sustainable and green growth. The private sector is an
important contributor to the Sustainable Development
Goals, especially SDG 17, which focuses on partnerships.
With public resources becoming limited, the private sector
is expected to invest capital to support these goals.
ADVOCACY TOOLKIT
“WHO ARE THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS?
AND HOW SHOULD WE ENGAGE WITH
THEM?
Once an issue is identifed, for advocacy interventions to be
efective, it is important to:
• identify the relevant stakeholders; and
• tailor the advocacy interventions to those stakeholders to
maximise impact.
IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholders may include:
• government departments, regulators and public bodies
at national,
regional or local levels
• business people, businesses and trade bodies involved in
the afected
• markets, including producers of inputs, substitutes and
complements
• consumers, consumer advocates and consumer groups
• professional organisations and trade unions
• chambers of trade, commerce or industry, and chambers
of agriculture
• legal and industry experts in the area studied
• academics with a specialism in the sector
• media
• other parties that may have an interest in the market.”
REPRESENTATION &
CLIMATE CHANGE
THE IMPORTANCE OF
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
IN SUSTAINABILITY
Parliamentarians play an important role in raising
awareness about climate change and building the
political momentum needed to address it. They can
inform people about climate change by supporting
public campaigns and sharing information through
personal
statements
and
communications.
Additionally, they can encourage the parliament and
relevant committees to share fndings and reports
with the public, and advocate for more openness
and direct consultation with citizens and key
stakeholders.
Parliamentarians can also serve as a valuable
resource for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
looking to promote climate action. CSOs can share
their concerns and comments with parliamentarians
who are supportive of the issue, and provide
research and expertise. While parliamentarians may
not be able to act on every request, they can
advocate on behalf of CSOs and citizens when
concerted eforts are made.
Stakeholder engagement is a fundamental principle
of sustainability. A business must be able to
communicate with its external stakeholders in order
to stay relevant, and to better meet the needs of its
customers.
In this video, Todd Cort, Program Convener in the
Corporate Sustainability Management: Risk, Proft,
and Purpose online program from the Yale School of
Management Executive Education, explains how this
relationship supports sustainability.
Some of the biggest opportunities and risks facing
businesses today lie in the world of sustainability.
Many of these will emerge from the needs of
stakeholders, and businesses able to listen to these
needs will be best placed to respond. This video
highlights four principles of efective engagement:
inclusivity, materiality, responsiveness and impact.
THE
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
FOR CLIMATE ACTION
The Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG
CLIMA) is a group of people who work for the
European Commission to help protect the planet from
climate change. They make plans and strategies to
reduce the amount of pollution we create and make
sure we are prepared for the efects of climate change.
They want to make Europe a leader in fghting climate
change, and they do this by creating new ways to use
energy and resources that are better for the
environment. They also work with other countries to
make sure everyone is doing their part to protect the
planet. They want to make sure that we can still have a
good life on Earth while taking care of it for future
generations.
BUILDING STAKEHOLDER
TRUST IN 2019
In 2019, the landscape of digital communication,
international agreements, and investor expectations
makes stakeholder engagement more important
than ever. To build and retain stakeholder trust in
your company, check out this fve-step guide
P L AY V I D E O
P L AY V I D E O
As a climate activist, you may have the
opportunity to participate in meetings with
decision-makers at the local, national, or even
international level. These meetings are a
chance to collaborate on creating initiatives
and solutions that can help advance the
climate agenda, while also taking into account
the unique needs and challenges faced by
children, adolescents, and young people. By
participating in these meetings, you can share
your perspectives and proposals, draw from
your experiences, and help infuence the
decisions that are made.
Furthermore, countries are constantly working
on climate policies and tools to address
environmental concerns. It's crucial that young
people and adolescents are involved in the
creation of these policies, so that they
accurately refect their needs and uphold their
rights. When young people take part in
consultations and reviews of these policies and
tools, their perspectives can be integrated and
lead to the creation of climate policies that are
sensitive to the needs of children, adolescents,
PREPARE TO ACT
HOW TO ENGAGE AND COLLABORATE WITH
COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES
Overall, engaging with political and economic stakeholders to co-create sustainability policies with community
representatives requires patience, persistence, and a commitment to collaborative decision-making. By
working together, stakeholders can develop policies that are grounded in local knowledge, values, and
interests, and that can lead to more sustainable outcomes for all.
Establish clear
goals:
Clearly define the goals of
the sustainability policy.
This could include
environmental, social, and
economic goals. Engage
stakeholders in setting
these goals, so that they
are aligned with their
values and interests.
Communicate
effectively:
Effective communication is
key to building trust and
maintaining engagement.
Provide regular updates on
the progress of the policy
development process and
be responsive to
stakeholder feedback.
Build
relationships:
Building relationships with
the stakeholders is crucial.
Take the time to
understand their
perspectives, values, and
interests. This can be done
through individual
meetings, focus groups, or
town hall meetings.
Develop a
co-creation process:
Establish a process for
co-creating the policy with
community
representatives. This
process should be
transparent, inclusive, and
collaborative. It could
include workshops, working
groups, and online forums.
Identify the
stakeholders:
Identify the key
stakeholders who have a
stake in the sustainability
policy development
process. This could include
government officials,
business leaders,
community organizations,
academics, and citizens.
Evaluate the
policy:
Once the policy has been
developed, it is important
to evaluate its
effectiveness. This can be
done through monitoring
and evaluation frameworks
that are co-created with
stakeholders.
Implement the
policy:
Finally, implement the
policy in a way that is
equitable, inclusive, and
sustainable. This could
involve partnerships with
local organizations and
businesses,
capacity-building
initiatives, and ongoing
stakeholder engagement.
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR CLIMATE ADVOCACY AND ACTION
and young people. Finally, other young
activists have shared tips on how to prepare
for, participate in, and follow up on these
consultations and reviews to ensure the
greatest impact.
Organised by the coalition members, children from
diferent countries were interviewed on their wish for the
future and their message to world leaders.
In the lead up to COP27 in Egypt in November 2022, a new
video series, Voices of Change, features ten interviews with
some of the world’s indefatigable climate activists, looking
at their courage to persist against all odds, while
advocating for change and solutions to protect vulnerable
communities and our planet. The frst interview features
Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist from Uganda and a
Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals.
MEETING DECISION-MAKERS
AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS FOR
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
KIDS' MESSAGES ON CLIMATE
CHANGE TO WORLD LEADERS
VOICES OF CHANGE: CLIMATE
CHANGE IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE
There’s a good chance that you will need to meet someone
in a position of power to help you achieve your goals. This
could be a national Minister of Education, an advisor,
someone at UNESCO, or a local chief. Whoever it is, there
are some things to keep in mind to help you reach and
infuence them.
1. Setting up an advocacy meeting
Contact
Find out the best way to reach them. Who can help you set
up a meeting?
Courtesy
The relationship starts here! Recognise that your issue
might not be their priority.
Timing
Is this a good time? Can what you are asking them to do be
done now?
Clarity
Be clear about what you want from them.
2. Prepare
What interests and infuences them?
Go over their position on your issue – could they support
the change you’re looking
for?
Who should go?
Think about who is best to attend the meeting. Can you
involve those directly afected by the issues?
Have you designed brilliant messages?
Go through your messages and requests. List your key
points to communicate.
• Are you legitimate?
Are you recognised as a representative of the people
whose interests you are advocating? Do you have evidence
from your research?
• Are you convincing?
Do you have evidence to support your position? Will what
you are proposing really make a diference?
• Have you got a plan B?
It’s common to turn up at a meeting to fnd that it’s a difer-
ent person than you expected, that you have less time, and
that their agenda is diferent to what you’d agreed. Be
ready for anything!”
UNICEF teamed up with Fridays for Future to highlight
young activists on the front lines of climate change. “Now
is the time to act.” Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
Nkosi is using his talents to speak out on climate change in
Zimbabwe.
ON THE FRONTLINES OF
CLIMATE CHANGE IN ZIMBABWE
This measure involves taking actions to increase aware-
ness about climate change and adaptation, as not all
groups are aware of their vulnerability or what they can
do to adapt to the changing climate. Raising awareness is
an important part of managing the impacts of climate
change, enhancing adaptive capacity, and reducing
overall vulnerability.
Awareness campaigns can target specifc groups of people
afected by a particular climate threat, stakeholders, or the
general public, with the aim of achieving long-term
behavioral changes. These campaigns are most efective
when they use multiple methods of communication, such
as distributing printed materials, organizing public
meetings and training sessions, providing professional
consultation, using social and mass media, and leveraging
informal networks for information dissemination.
P L AY V I D E O
P L AY V I D E O
P L AY V I D E O
DUE DILIGENCE:
HOLDING CORPORATIONS
ACCOUNTABLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
DAMAGE
DOES THE POLLUTER PAY?
“WHAT IS THE ‘POLLUTER PAYS’
PRINCIPLE ABOUT?
Knowing policies that assign responsibility for environmental
damage is important because it helps to ensure that those
responsible for causing harm to the environment are held
accountable
for
their
actions.
By
holding
polluters
accountable for the environmental damage they cause,
policies can incentivize companies and individuals to adopt
more environmentally sustainable practices and reduce their
environmental impact.
Moreover, policies that assign responsibility for environmental
damage can help to protect communities and individuals who
may be negatively afected by environmental degradation.
When polluters are held accountable for their actions, afected
communities may be able to seek compensation for any harm
they have sufered. This can include compensation for
property damage, loss of income, or medical expenses related
to environmental health problems.
Additionally,
policies
that
assign
responsibility
for
environmental damage can help to facilitate environmental
cleanup eforts. For example, some policies require companies
to clean up contaminated sites or restore damaged
ecosystems.
By
holding
polluters
responsible
for
environmental damage, these policies help to ensure that the
costs of environmental cleanup are borne by those who
caused the damage, rather than by taxpayers or afected
communities.
Overall, knowing policies that assign responsibility for
environmental
damage
is
important
for
promoting
environmental sustainability, protecting communities and
individuals, and facilitating environmental cleanup eforts.
The "polluter pays" principle is a concept that states that those
who cause pollution should be responsible for cleaning it up
and paying for any damage it causes. This principle has been
efective in mitigating the negative impacts of pollution and
has led to policies and measures being put in place to identify
and reduce pollution levels, as well as compensate those who
are afected. However, implementation can be challenging,
especially when it comes to holding companies accountable
for their subsidiaries' actions, and legal processes can be
lengthy and expensive. As pollution becomes more complex
and widespread, the principle continues to be applied to more
challenging cases.
DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE
COUNCIL ON CORPORATE
SUSTAINABILITY DUE DILIGENCE
AND AMENDING DIRECTIVE (EU)
2019/1937
DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE
COUNCIL ON CORPORATE
SUSTAINABILITY DUE DILIGENCE
AND AMENDING DIRECTIVE (EU)
2019/1937
The behaviour of companies across all sectors of the
economy is key to succeed in the Union’s transition to a
climate-neutral and green economy in line with the
European Green Deal and in delivering on the UN
Sustainable Development Goals, including on its human
rights-
and
environment-related
objectives. This
requires
implementing
comprehensive
mitigation
processes for adverse human rights and environmental
impacts in their value chains, integrating sustainability
into corporate governance and management systems,
and framing business decisions in terms of human
rights, climate and environmental impact, as well as in
terms of the company’s resilience in the longer term.
EU companies operate in complex surroundings and,
especially large ones, rely on global value chains. Given
the signifcant number of their suppliers in the Union
and in third countries and the overall complexity of
value chains, EU companies, including the large ones,
may encounter difculties to identify and mitigate risks
in their value chains linked to respect of human rights or
environmental impacts. Identifying these adverse
impacts in value chains will become easier if more
companies exercise due diligence and thus more data is
available on human rights and environmental adverse
impacts.”
“(56) In order to ensure efective compensation of
victims of adverse impacts, Member States should be
required to lay down rules governing the civil liability of
companies for damages arising due to its failure to
comply with the due diligence process. The company
should be liable for damages if they failed to comply
with the obligations to prevent and mitigate potential
adverse impacts or to bring actual impacts to an end and
minimise their extent, and as a result of this failure an
adverse impact that should have been identifed,
prevented, mitigated, brought to an end or its extent
minimised through the appropriate measures occurred
and led to damage.
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