Media broadcasts about climate change are commonplace, but how many people actually understand how climate change will affect them and their children’s lifestyle?

There are many challenges ahead, and this is particularly true for young people coming from small rural, coastal local communities, which frequently suffer higher levels of deprivation than elsewhere along the UK coast. In such places, limited resources and support may lead to communities having to face some of the greatest challenges associated with climate change adaptation. That is why a new project invited young people from rural communities in Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Carmenthenshire and Monmouthshire to become part of the ‘Wales Young People’s Climate Change Policy Forum’, where they worked with scientists, academics and planners to identify issues and raise awareness in other young people.

The young people attended workshops where they responded to various climate change scenarios, based on recent scientific findings. Experts in climate change from organisations like the Welsh Assembly Government, Environment Agency, local councils, National Parks and the Centre for Alternative Technology gave interactive presentations and hosted question and answer sessions. As well as getting the opportunity to participate in a forum to discuss climate change implications, the young people contributed to a policy document, education resource pack and web site, which will be used to transfer the project findings to other young people in Wales.

The leader of the project Dr Rhoda Ballinger is a lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. She said:

‘Adequately informed and engaged young people are essential for future climate change adaptation: not only will their lives be affected by changes in climate, but today’s policies on climate change, which will guide future decisions on climate change adaption need to be shaped by young people’s ideas and aspirations in a meaningful way.’

‘Therefore the aim of this project was to change the way young people from rural communities think about their role and influence in a world with a changing climate.’

The context for activities was set by experts in the field who have to deal with real life decision making in a similar way to the young people involved in the workshops. This included the use of scenarios to demonstrate different physical, social and economic environments that children are likely to experience in the future as a direct result of climate change.

The findings from this project will have implications not just for the young people involved, but for the wider community as a resource pack will be produced that is tailored to meet the requirements of the Welsh national curriculum and distributed to at least 150 secondary schools in Wales. The policy document itself will also be used to inform high level decision making in the future via the young persons commissioner for Wales.

Lead: Dr Rhoda Ballinger, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University