Recent studies show that there is a widespread public awareness of the impacts of climate change both in our country and in the world. Young people between the ages of 15-17 are the most aware of the catastrophic disasters awaiting the Earth and feel betrayed by the politicians.
26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) began on October 31 in Glasgow, Scotland. The conference will continue until November 12th, and will provide the first indications of how the global and transnational struggle against climate change will unfold between 2021 and 2026. COP26 is crucial in determining whether more radical targets will emerge in the fight against climate change, as well as how the next five years of international climate diplomacy will unfold.
So how do young people perceive the climate crisis and climate justice, which are among the most important agendas of the 21st century?
Awareness is the highest among young people between the ages of 15-17
Recent studies show that there is a widespread public awareness of the impact of climate change on weather events and nature both in our country and in the world. Young people between the ages of 15-17 is the most aware of this change.
According to the findings of the “Perception of Climate Change in Turkey” study performed by Yuvam World Association in collaboration with KONDA, three-quarters of Turkish people are aware of climate change. In fact, the existence of a climate crisis is apparent, as evidenced by the forest fires in our country’s South, West, and Anatolia, as well as floods in the Northeast this summer.
Are young people in Turkey ready to take action?
The study states that even though young people especially between the ages of 15-17 have the highest awareness about the impacts of climate change, they are not ready to take action to be part of the solution. This is not because they are not sensitive to climate change, but because they are in a period of their life when their priorities are different.
Still, one of the study’s most remarkable findings is that young people at the age of 15-17 are much more concerned about natural disasters than older age groups.
Young people are ‘very concerned’ about the climate crisis
According to the most comprehensive survey in this field, 60 percent of young people describe themselves as “very worried” or “extremely worried” about the climate crisis, according to a study conducted by the University of Bath in England in collaboration with universities in Finland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, 45 percent of people feel that climate change has had an impact on their daily life as a result of the crisis. Again, two-thirds of young people believe they face a dreadful future, with 56 percent believing that humanity faces catastrophic disasters.
Young people feel ignored by the politicians
Chronic stress caused by climate change can cause physical and emotional problems in young people, according to the study, and the increase in extreme climate events may exacerbate these issues.
Another key finding of the survey is that a sizeable portion of young people feel that they are betrayed ignored, negligent and abandoned by the politicians and grownups.
The deterioration of the environment is not the only source of ecological concern
“The ecological anxiety is not only produced by environmental degradation,” says Caroline Hickman, main author of the research report from the University of Bath. “It is also created by governments’ inability to act on climate change,” she adds.
“I don’t want to die,” one of the young people who took part in the study said, “but I don’t want to live in a society where children and animals aren’t cared for.” This demonstrates how young people feel about the climate catastrophe and political authorities.