We are an association of young people who are committed to ambitious and sustainable climate protection. We aim to preserve a world worth living in for present and future generations. The four following aspects are fundamental for us:
1. Our goal is climate justice in the intergenerational and global sense. This means that we are committed to a world worth living in for those people who have historically emitted the least and who are and will be most exposed to the consequences of global emissions: People of future generations and people from the Global South.
2. Our work focuses on youth. Although young people under 30 make up 50% of the world’s population, only a fraction of international political representatives are under 30.
3. We care about the global Big Picture, i.e. taking a global perspective, representing it and fighting for it. The climate crisis does not stop at national borders. Unlike nationalism and protectionism, we advocate global cooperation between different actors. Networking and working together with international partners is of great importance to us. We always intend to see the climate crisis and the global climate movement in all their complexity and diversity.
4. Last but not least, science is not negotiable. Our work is based on the latest scientific findings. Not only do we build our work on the basis of these findings, but also condemn the increasing decoupling of political decisions from scientific facts.
Our work on national and international level
Our goal is climate justice in the intergenerational and global sense. This means that we are committed to a world worth living in for those people who have historically emitted the least and who are and will be most exposed to the consequences of global emissions: People of future generations and people from the Global South. Our work focuses on youth. Although young people under 30 make up 50% of the world’s population, only a fraction of international political representatives are under 30. We care about the global Big Picture, i.e. taking a global perspective, representing it and fighting for it. The climate crisis does not stop at national borders. Unlike nationalism and protectionism, we advocate global cooperation between different actors. Networking and working together with international partners is of great importance to us. We always intend to see the climate crisis and the global climate movement in all their complexity and diversity. Last but not least, science is not negotiable. Our work is based on the latest scientific findings. Not only do we build our work on the basis of these findings, but also condemn the increasing decoupling of political decisions from scientific facts
We see ourselves as a hinge between the demands of the street and the processes of politics in order to achieve permanent effective measures and structures. In doing so, we supplement the debate with a global perspective and urge for Germany and other countries to take their global responsibility seriously.
A central component of our work happens on the international level: at the UN Climate Conferences (COP) and the corresponding interim negotiations (SBs). Every year, we carry the voice of young people into the negotiating spaces. In 2008, we participated in a UN climate summit for the first time in Poznan, Poland. Since then, we have acquired several years of expertise and experience in the field of international climate policy. Each year, some of our members go to the climate conferences and interim negotiations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (more here).
But we are also active beyond the negotiations: we work on projects, establish contacts with decision-makers, network with other youth and climate organisations as well as other actors. A large part of our work takes place online. Our members are spread all over Germany and beyond. For this reason, we use digital platforms to coordinate our team work. All members meet twice a month for a video conference. A five-member board keeps the overview.