What do Andréia, Marian(n)a, Nayara and Rebeca have in common? They are young women engaged in the fight against the climate crisis and, together, participated in the Young Leaders for Climate panel, organized by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), during the Sustainable Turnaround in Rio de Janeiro. Youth leadership gained popularity in 2018 with the actions of Swedish Greta Thunberg, who started a school strike movement to raise awareness about the impacts of the climate crisis on the planet. In the last global edition of the strike, young people from more than 150 countries joined the movement.
Representing Engajamundo and Fridays for Future Brazil (a national movement inspired by Greta), Nayara Almeida reinforces the importance of education in combating the climate crisis. “Greta is the result of a cutting-edge and inclusive education. She is privileged to live in a country that prioritizes education. What we can highlight is that she used her privileges to build a narrative that made the climate crisis a topic that people would talk about. She took the issue that was previously only discussed in closed conferences and made the youth and the streets speak out about it,” highlights the young student and climate activist.
Engagement Leader at the Brazil Climate Center and a PhD student in Political Science, Marianna Albuquerque approaches the classroom with two perspectives: as a student and as a teacher. For her, it is necessary to include the topic of climate change in classes.
“For everyone who works in education, we have to think of the student as an apprentice. We need to empower young people so that they can occupy decision-making positions and be able to talk about their experiences. No one can speak better about what we need than we ourselves.”
Climate crisis and social inequality
Panel moderator and communications coordinator at the Climate and Society Institute (iCS), Andréia Coutinho recalled the impact of social inequality as one of the difficulties in engaging society on the issue. For the journalist, the difficulty in giving a voice to those most impacted by the climate crisis stems from prioritizing needs that need to be resolved. “How can we communicate the climate crisis to people who have to face problems like unemployment and violence on a daily basis? The most vulnerable people are also the main victims of climate change and are left out of the debate,” she argues.
Mariana Britto, communications assistant at the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), emphasizes the role of inequality in the low level of engagement against the climate crisis. Mariana questions how to mobilize people who protested against the increase in fares across the country in 2013 to demand action against the climate crisis. “We need to establish a very sensitive dialogue. The most vulnerable populations are those who contribute least to global warming and are those who suffer most from its impacts. It is essential to bring peripheral populations, low-income populations, women and black people into the movement,” she believes.
Mariana brought to the debate the impact of mobility and transportation, a sector responsible for 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For her, the main challenges for mobility in Brazil are sustainability and raising awareness among the population about the use of public transportation. “How can we get people off private transportation and onto mass transportation? One of the solutions is the electrification of transportation, which is facing many difficulties in the country. We have older and more urgent problems.”
According to the journalist, only 301% of the population of Rio de Janeiro lives near high-capacity transport systems, such as light rail, subway and train. The data is even worse when analyzing income, race and gender.
The role of the business sector
Responsible for approximately 5% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 according to the Gas Emissions Estimation System (SEEG), the Brazilian business sector has found a business opportunity in the transition to a low-carbon economy. According to a survey by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), in the last three years, associated companies have invested more than US$$ 85 billion in reducing and mitigating emissions.
CEBDS technical assistant Rebeca Orosco, however, emphasizes that companies know they can do more. Quoting Argentina's Minister of the Environment, Sergio Bergman, the young woman emphasizes that the climate crisis is a symptom. The cause, according to Bergman, would be all forms of production and consumption that are not sustainable.
“We see problems such as loss of biodiversity, reduction of water resources, pollution, social inequality. These are all problems that arise from the way we produce and consume on the planet. That said, we know that each actor has different responsibilities. That is why the business sector is aware of its responsibility and acts to generate a positive impact on the planet. And this action is based on the fact that more sustainable companies will be more successful in the future. Companies have a fundamental role in creating more sustainable solutions,” he adds.
Protagonism
According to Nayara, youth leadership lacks information support. For her, the main documents are still in English, which makes it difficult to consume information. However, the barrier can be overcome by forming groups, studying at home and engaging teachers.
“As young people who are interested in addressing this issue, plant this seed. Talk to teachers and management. And not only that, understand that you can understand more about climate on your own.”
Twitter and sites like Engajamundo, 350.org It is Climate Observatory are also some good sources of information, according to the activist. The climate crisis is not something that will affect only polar bears or ice caps. It will impact everyone. A good example of storytelling is the documentary 'Tomorrow is Today', which follows the routine of five people affected by climate change”, he recommends.
