In 2020’s Make Your Mark ballot young people voted both plastic pollution and climate change in the top 5 devolved/UK issues for the coming year. UK Youth Parliament will be campaigning to address climate change at the UK level with a particular focus on making sure that we stop non-essential single-use plastics by 2025.
Plastic pollution and climate change more broadly are issues with global impact. We are proud that UK Youth Parliament has a nationwide network of young people working for change. That’s why we have partnered with Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace to make sure that you can take part in meaningful action to address this issue locally, nationally and globally.
Launch
We launched our campaign pack. We created a campaign coordination group, who will help mobilise young people in their areas and advise on the campaign
Help change the law
The UK Government is making a new law affecting Climate Change, called the Environment Bill.
We’re working with Friends of the Earth, to try and make sure it includes a ban on non-essential plastics by 2025. You can help stop plastic pollution by telling your MP. It’s really simple; find out who your MP is here, then email them using one of our template emails. Remember to update us, so we can share your progress of the map below
Meet your MP
Ask them to submit Parliamentary questions or speak in debates focussing on amendments to the Environment Bill.
Day of Action
Depending on when MPs debate the Environment Bill – we will have a day of action when MPs vote on parts of that are about plastic pollution
Host events leading up to COP26
In November the UK will be hosting COP26 which will provide a unique opportunity for us to shape the future of international work to address the climate crisis. Working with Greenpeace we’ll host a series of events designed to inspire young people to take action targeted at COP26.
UK Youth Parliament launched their national campaigns calling on the government to address the climate emergency, mental health concerns and access to higher education. The year-long campaigns are set to challenge decision makers to do more to ensure young people’s mental health is prioritised in the coming year, to create free, lifelong and inclusive higher education and lastly to stop non-essential single-use plastics by 2025.
A Spokesperson for the UK Youth Parliament said: “Young people have a clear ambitious vision for our future, and it’s important decision makers take action to address our concerns as we commence our recovering from this global pandemic.
“In our vision for a better society young people have been clear they want action on the climate emergency, they wish to see young people’s mental health given the attention it deserves and a government that invests in the young people of today by providing free university education.”
Members of Youth Parliament believe the climate emergency remains one of the biggest threats to our planet. Amongst many other issues, members across the country have agreed plastic pollution will have a serious impact on our current and future generations. The group of outspoken young people have stated national and local leaders in government must act to halt the impact of climate change with young people’s voices at the centre of decision making.
Mental health has remained a priority repeatedly for young people across all nations with the issue reoccurring as a top priority on six occasions within UK Youth Parliament’s annual ballot since 2011. Research from the British Medical Journal revealed deterioration in mental health is clearest among families already struggling, reinforcing concerns from young leaders that mental health must be kept at the heart of the government’s approach to pandemic recovery.
UK Youth Parliament have also joined forced with other campaigners to reiterate the importance of providing free higher education in England. The youth-led pressure group, believe that university is a gateway to success in life and should be freely available to all. The campaign intends to call for reforms to access to universities to prevent young people suffering financial hardship and not reaching their full potential.
Each of the campaigns have come about following UK Youth Parliament’s annual ballot of young people across the UK. The ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot, which was coordinated by the British Youth Council and supported by UK Parliament, concluded young people felt access to higher education should remain free as a priority.