From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan yesterday met with delegates from the National Youth Assembly on Climate (NYAC) to hear their recommendations and calls to action emerging from the second NYAC held on 11 March this year.
The young delegates looked at three key areas of the Climate Action Plan — sustainable transport, the circular economy, and communications and engagement — making recommendations under each, including, for example, increasing public transport; addressing over consumption, particularly in areas like fast fashion; and including climate justice in formal education settings.
Minister Ryan said:
"This is the second year that we have held the National Youth Assembly on Climate. At last year's event I had the opportunity to meet with and talk to the delegates, hearing first hand their concerns, their eagerness to take action, and how they felt that Government can work with them to deliver real and meaningful change.
"The role of the assembly has evolved year on year, and it is great to see the delegates themselves selecting the priority areas where they think we need to deliver urgent actions, including sustainable transport, the circular economy, and communications and engagement. Young people are our future. We don’t just have to listen attentively to their views but also act on what they see as important to help shape their world now."
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman said:
"The National Youth Assembly on Climate plays an important role in ensuring that young people have a say in our government’s response to climate change. This webinar shows Government’s commitment to listening to the views of young people and considering their recommendations for the Climate Action Plan."
At the one-day event the delegates discussed these themes in an open and deliberative workshop where they shared their vision for 2050, the main actions in these areas to realise this vision, the barriers to acting, and solutions.
Key recommendations include:
Sustainable transport:
The circular economy:
Communications and engagement:
Delegates also frequently raised the issue of energy production and consumption. Other issues frequently mentioned were just transition, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
A short report will be published including the key recommendations emerging from the assembly. The Report of the National Youth Assembly on Climate will provide a detailed record of the assembly discussions, captures the views of young people from across Ireland and reflects the concerns of young people in relation to climate issues.
This report is an integral part of the government’s National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) and will present the National Youth Assembly on Climate’s recommendations for consideration to include in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024.
Minister Ryan said:
"Climate change is the biggest challenge facing humanity and the voices and views of young people have to shape the future for all of us. Their excellent and innovative suggestions will be published in a short report and be incorporated into our Climate Action Plan 2024."
ENDS
The Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has established a National Youth Assembly of Ireland. The establishment of Youth Assemblies is a commitment in the Programme for Government 2020. The assembly acts as a consultative forum for children and young people between the ages of 12 and 24 on issues that are important to them. It provides a systematic means of capturing the voices of young people in Ireland and feeding this directly into the development of government policy.
The National Youth Assembly on Climate is a forum where young people aged between 12–24 years, from across the country, are provided with the opportunity to make recommendations directly to Government to inform the Climate Action Plan.
Approximately 60 young delegates from Comhairle na nÓg (Local Youth Councils), various youth organisations and climate organisations are contributing their ideas and recommendations at the assembly.
By hearing from young people, the National Youth Assembly of Ireland provides insight into some of the concerns facing young people, and assists Government in acting on the potential solutions that young people propose.
The assembly meets up to four times a year on different issues including an annual meeting as the Youth Assembly on Climate. The Youth Assembly on Climate acts as a vehicle for dialogue and will develop recommendations from young people for inclusion in the government’s Climate Action Plan. The first National Youth Assembly on Climate took place online on 2 March 2022. The second National Youth Assembly on Climate took place on 11 March 2023.
Under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Ireland is committed to giving children and young people a say in decision-making and a voice in decisions that affect their lives. The continued participation of young people in youth assemblies such as the Youth Assembly on Climate ensures that we can include the voice of children and young people in the development of both local and national services and policies.
Including the voice of the child in decision-making is a priority for DCEDIY and plays an important role in leading government efforts to ensure that children and young people have a voice in decisions that affect their lives.
DCEDIY’s National Participation Office works across local and national government to build, develop and sustain structures to enable the meaningful participation of children and young people in decision-making at local and national levels.
A fundamental element of the realisation of the ambitions of Climate Action Plan 2023 is the engagement and empowerment of everyone in society to co-create solutions that are relevant to them.
The National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) is the key mechanism through which climate actions related to public engagement, participation, community action, networking and capacity-building activities are delivered in Ireland.
The NDCA is led by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), with secretariat support provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The NDCA has four key objectives:
The National Youth Assembly on Climate represents a significant milestone in the NDCA programme.