In the department of Politics, International Relations, and Philosophy, we've conducted extensive work to amplify the voices of young people on environmental issues.
We've also developed effective models for turning youth voice into public policy.
This workstream began with a collaboration with the Greater London Authority to investigate the views of young Londoners on environmental issues and solutions for their city (London Sustainable Development Commission 2019).
On 14th February 2022, we hosted an event ('We Love the Planet') in collaboration with young Londoners. This event offered a platform for youth to share their ideas for enhancing the environment in the Capital. The meeting was addressed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
Since 2022, we've been actively developing and evaluating a 'civic mentoring' model in London. This initiative empowers young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to influence policy in a sustainable manner.
We co-produced a Handbook for Working with Children and Young People as Partners with the Mayor of London’s Peer Outreach Team. Our innovative efforts led to an invitation to contribute to the United Nations World Public Sector Report 2023.
In a section on ‘Turning Youth Voice into Sustainable Public Policy’, Professor Sloam shows how models of participatory democracy – practiced in London and many other global cities – can improve the quality of climate policy:
"Young people across the world are engaged in political issues and are eager to have their voices heard. The problem is that youth activism is often disconnected from formal politics… This is counterproductive, given the fact that Governments may share the aims of the protestors, as in the case of climate activism.
"The challenge for policymakers is to harness the energy, optimism, and solutions of today’s youth by mainstreaming the politics of young people into formal political processes."
