- Young Leaders
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- New Reality. New Thinking. New Tools.
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Young Leaders’ Climate Action Manifesto
The Young Leaders’ Climate Action Manifesto is the output of OnePlanet’s ‘Unite for UK Climate Action’ Campaign. The aim of the campaign was to bring together a group of ‘Young Leaders’ to create a systems-map of UK climate policy using the OnePlanet platform. This systems-map provides a national picture and helps to identify best practice, understand where there are gaps and identify opportunities to develop actions further to deliver co-benefits around health, nature recovery, and equity.
We reached out to our networks and universities to engage young people in the campaign. Over 100 people signed up and nearly 50 climate action plans have been mapped on the OnePlanet platform.
We have worked collaboratively with the young leaders to form a set of outcomes which we feel local governments should be leading the delivery of to amplify their impact in response to the climate crisis. Ultimately, we hope that this piece of work will encourage local councils, businesses and communities to work together to create and deliver effective, joined-up solutions.
You can view key elements of the manifesto here, or click the button below to view the interactive version on the OnePlanet platform!
Overarching Outcomes
1. Well-being of Future Generations: Local governments incorporate ideas of ‘Well-being of Future Generations Wales’ into their climate plans and all their policies and processes.
2. Equity embedded into all policy and strategy: Address intersectional risk factors (such as gender, race, sexuality, religion, disability or age and socio-economic status) which impact quality of life to build resilience as a whole society, not just in segments.
3. Tangible climate actions and enhanced co-benefits: Develop climate actions further to be more tangible and enhance co-benefits around health, equity and nature recovery. Communicate the co-benefits more clearly to get buy-in and investment.
4. Internal and external collaboration: Embed climate action in all council services, policies, strategies, procurement and decisions. Collaborate with public, private and community organisations to meet wider targets, with the council operating as both a leader and facilitator.
5. Quantitative and qualitative indicators: Publically report annually on indicators that are realistic and easy to track (both quantitative and qualitative) to understand the progress of outcomes and community sentiment.
Outcomes
6. Good physical health and mental wellbeing: Develop climate actions to their fullest potential to simultaneously achieve good physical health and mental wellbeing outcomes and communicate these co-benefits clearly.
7. Safe air quality for all: Ensure the World Health Organisations air quality guideline values are met with actions prioritised by focusing on areas suffering from the worst air quality levels first.
8. Spaces designed for people, resilience and wellbeing: Planning regulations need to ensure that spaces are designed for people and nature first, with climate change adaptation accounted for, instead of designing ‘as if cars are inevitable’.
9. Vulnerable residents supported: Support residents equitably by understanding and prioritising those who are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and/or lack the financial resources to adapt appropriately.
10. No fuel poverty: Communicate clearly that carbon mitigation actions such as home insulation, energy efficiency improvements and renewable technologies will also address fuel poverty.
11. All buildings (domestic and non-domestic) EPC B or higher: Facilitate the improved performance of all buildings in the region through retrofit initiatives to ensure that all buildings meet EPC B or higher, ideally by 2030.
12. Community-owned renewable energy: Explore the scope and feasibility for community energy projects with the incentive to encourage and support these projects if viable.
13. Reduce energy demand: Focus not only on transitioning to renewable energy but on reducing energy demand and usage as a whole.
14. Green jobs and skills: Detailed actions for working with businesses and schools to upskill, reskill and create green job pathways and opportunities for residents. Ensure these are embedded into the Economic Development Strategy.
15. Green pensions and investments: Divest all pension funds and investments away from fossil-fuels and encourage residents, partners and businesses to follow suit.
16. Green economy fund: Create a grant fund to support community-run projects which mitigate carbon emissions whilst improving health, equity and nature recovery.
17. Community resilience to climate change: Build community resilience to climate change by ensuring that people from all different types of socio-economic backgrounds are included and engaged in climate action.
18. Climate migration: Consider how residents with family or friends overseas may be affected by a global climate change disaster. Prepare for the inevitable influx of climate refugees that will travel not only across but to the UK and have measures in place so that they feel safe and are welcomed.
19. Celebrate local knowledge: Work with the local community to implement climate change resilience projects which draw on their knowledge, experience and expertise.
20. Prioritise nature-based solutions for carbon mitigation and climate adaptation: Nature-based solutions or blue-green infrastructure should be prioritised for climate action because they are more impactful and also support outcomes around equity, health and nature.
21. Nature for all: Ensure all residents are easily connected to high quality green, woodland and natural areas to improve inequalities around access to green space.
22. Regenerative land and agricultural practices: Land-use and agricultural actions need to be regenerative to actively improve food security, improve soil health, increase biodiversity, save water and eliminate chemical pesticide use.
23. Safe, high quality water: Protect and enhance the water quality of lakes, rivers, waterways and beaches, ensuring they are not polluted by sewage or chemicals.
24. Rebuild marine biodiversity: Coastal areas seek to rebuild marine ecosystems through marine protected areas (MPAs) to restore habitats, improve biodiversity and enhance the sea’s carbon storage capacity.
25. Local food production: Support local food production and consumption by reducing the demand for unseasonal foods and localising food supply chains by sourcing foods from local, regenerative farms.
26. Access to sustainable, healthy diets: Promote planet-friendly diets which are rich in whole foods and provide support to residents so they can access sustainable, healthy foods.
27. Accessible transport infrastructure: Provide accessible, reliable and affordable public transport and implement infrastructure to make active travel safer and more attractive to minimise reliance on private cars.
28. Circular Economy: Embed principles of the Circular Economy into all council procurement, policies and procedures, and encourage residents, partners and businesses to follow suit.
29. Composting to reduce food waste: Encourage residents and businesses to compost their food waste on site or facilitate separate food waste collection for composting.
30. Single-use plastics ban: Set up a single-use plastic pledge which seeks to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics and encourage businesses, partners and the community to sign the pledge also.