Government agencies in Central Asian countries and international organizations that deal with environmental issues, especially climate change, do not sufficiently take into account the opinions of young environmentalists, according to young experts from Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, Anisa Abibulloyeva and Mukhtar Amanbayuly.
Climate change issues are particularly important for Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Tajikistan, because of its mountainous ecosystems, which make up about 93% of its territory, is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Kazakhstan, a downstream country, is more sensitive to water scarcity, which is also affected by climate change.
Since the late 1990s, the countries have signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the Kyoto Protocol and subsequently the Paris Agreement. In 2003, Tajikistan adopted the National Action Plan of the Republic of Tajikistan on Climate Change Mitigation, the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change in 2019 and the second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Kazakhstan also ratified accession to the UNFCCC in 1995. Moreover, it also signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1999 and the Paris Agreement in 2016. In 2023, Kazakhstan provided its first NDC, where it indicated how it plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 25% by 2030.
Despite the active climate policies of the two countries, the question arises as to what extent all segments of society, especially young people, are involved in the process in these countries?
The role of youth in the climate agenda
According to the United Nations (UN), the world’s youth population is approximately 1.21 billion. Most of the world’s youth are directly exposed to the adverse effects of climate change, such as decreasing food security, increasing water scarcity and natural disasters occurring with increasing frequency. Young people, who make up a large proportion of the population in many countries, are becoming a driving force in achieving a sustainable future for climate change and holding decision-makers accountable.
For example, in 2018, 15-year-old Swedish school student, Greta Thunberg started protesting outside the Swedish Parliament, calling for immediate action on climate change. Her protests resonated around the world, spawning a mass movement, “Fridays for the Future.” In the wake of the protests, many politicians recognized the need to focus on addressing climate change. For example, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, stated that “in the financial period from 2021 to 2027, one in four euros spent within the EU budget will be spent on climate change mitigation measures.”
In Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, young people make up the majority of the population. In Tajikistan, about 40% of the population is young, and 68% are under 30 years of age. According to the Youth Research Center, in Kazakhstan, at the beginning of 2022, there were 3,741,083 people aged 14 to 29 years old, representing 20% of the total population. According to the results of the first quarter of 2023, their number increased and exceeded 5.7 million people, taking into account the amendments made in December 2022 to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on youth policy.
In these countries, youth engagement on climate issues is critical for sustainable development. However, there are pronounced challenges that limit the active participation of youth in environmental decision-making.
Gaps in the legal regulation of youth participation in decision-making processes
Youth participation in decision-making is a fundamental condition for the realization of the rights and interests of young people.
For example, since 2004, Tajikistan has adopted the Law on Youth and State Youth Policy. The Majlisi Milli (National Council of the Supreme Assembly of the Republic of Tajikistan) has a Committee on Agrarian Issues, Employment and Environment and a Committee on Social Issues, Health, Science, Education, Culture and Youth and Women’s Policy. Both Committees consist of a representative, a deputy representative and three members. But there are no youth representatives in both Committees (data as of January 2024). There are various initiatives to establish provincial or local councils with international assistance, also by community youth organizations and centers, but the initiatives are usually short-term and depend on external support.
The Committee on Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan (CEP) is the main state body authorized to develop climate change policy, as well as to oversee the State Hydrometeorology Institution. Young specialists are also not represented among the management and representatives of structural subdivisions of the CEP. In addition, among the management (3 persons) and ten heads of departments, only two women are represented (data as of January 2024).
In 2008, the Youth Policy Council under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was established to effectively formulate and implement State policy towards youth. The Council, approved by the Decree of the Head of State, performs a number of important tasks and functions aimed at ensuring favorable social and cultural development of the younger generation.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the central executive body of the country responsible for management in the areas of environmental protection. At different periods of time there was the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which underwent name changes. Between 2014 and 2019, it consisted of various areas including the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development, and the Ministry of Agriculture. In 2023, Kazakh President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev reorganized it, transforming the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan into the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It can be assumed that the age balance is observed among the heads of the Ministry.
Youth initiatives within the climate agenda
In 2022, the First Youth Conference on Climate Change (Local Conference of Youth, LCOY) was held in Kazakhstan with the support of YOUNGO, the youth corps of the UNFCCC. In 2023, the Second Youth Conference on Climate Change (Local Conference of Youth, LCOY) was held at Nazarbayev University. The organizers of this conference were SDSN Youth Kazakhstan, the Office of Sustainable Development, SDSN Kazakhstan, the Higher School of Public Policy and the student club Green Society. The outcome of the conference was the preparation of a youth statement on climate change from Kazakhstan for the UN Youth Climate Change Conference 2023 (COY-18).
The conference data showed that young people are willing and ready to actively participate in decision-making processes. But there is a need to include young people in official country delegations. Youth representatives and active participants in climate agendas still have to find financial resources to travel to international conferences and represent young people in these discussions.
Among others, young people in Central Asia are actively involved in the climate agenda as volunteers and workers in non-governmental public organizations and academia, especially in the water sector. Young professionals in the region also actively participate in international environmental associations and initiatives such as YOUNGO, Climate Action Network, World Youth Water Parliament.
Actively involved young people in climate agendas need comprehensive support. Raising awareness of the country’s climate agenda among young people requires a lot of effort, due to the fact that not many young people are interested in this issue.
Barriers to effective youth participation
Illusion of inclusion
Often government bodies or international development organizations include youth participation in a formal way, giving the appearance of building a dialogue with young people and engaging them in a meaningful way.
International organizations try to strengthen the position of young people by sending them to international arenas and supporting them at regional key water and climate conferences. However, it is observed that specialists of these organizations most often determine in advance the questions and formats of consultations to be answered by young people. They also control analyses and conclusions.
For example, at the recent international conference “Central Asia: Towards a Sustainable Future through a Strong Regional Institution”, an intergenerational plenary session was organized on addressing transboundary water issues and the circular economy and the use of circular economy strategies for sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene. Specialists of one of the UN agencies as an organizer of the session determined in advance the format and agenda of the session, also worked out speeches with representatives of the youth delegation.
UN organizations and other international development organizations in the region also involve youth as volunteers, consultants, and organizers of youth conferences in order to reduce the cost of fees and increase the visibility of youth inclusion for donors.
In addition, the process of selecting youth representatives for various international conferences is not transparent and their participation is not significant. In some cases, the selected youth representatives do not have adequate prior preparation to participate in such major events and lack a basic understanding of climate change issues.
Lack of funding
For young activists seeking to contribute to environmental projects, lack of funding and resources becomes a significant obstacle. Most young people face limitations in accessing the necessary funds and opportunities to realize their ideas and projects. Also, there are limited opportunities for “green” jobs in the region and even young people with specialized water and environmental education cannot find attractive jobs with decent salaries. At the same time, there is a shortage of technical environmental specialists (ecoengineers, hydrotechnologists, climate modeling specialists).
Lack of sufficient funding hinders opportunities for young people to realize their environmental initiatives. This includes limited access to technical resources, equipment and materials necessary for the successful implementation of environmental projects, even in the initial stages of their activities.
This lack of resources not only slows the pace of project implementation, but also creates an unequal playing field for youth who wish to actively participate in environmental efforts. It is important to recognize this challenge and provide young leaders with more accessible resources, encouraging and supporting their desire to actively participate in environmental conservation.
Lack of information and education
The field of environmental protection is not a widespread and attractive topic for young people and they are not very willing to engage professionally in the environmental field. Young people do not have a sufficient understanding of current environmental problems and how to solve them. Often, environmental issues are not sufficiently studied in schools and opportunities for specialized higher education in environmental policy and climate science are limited. For many young people, therefore, environmental issues seem distant or unimportant.
Lack of cooperation among eco-youth groups
Often, existing environmental youth movements and non-governmental organizations have to compete for opportunities and funding to participate in climate agendas. Among other things, youth lack cooperation and a concrete goal to make a meaningful contribution to the climate policy of countries. There is also a lack of regional cooperation at the international level for more effective representation in international arenas.
Ageism and Stereotypes
Among other things, young professionals are often confronted with a phenomenon known as ageism, which is bias based on age. Ageism manifests itself in the form of stereotyping, and sometimes discrimination, when young professionals are confronted with outdated notions that age can be an indicator of lack of experience or professional competence.
It is important to recognize that young professionals on the climate agenda can bring fresh perspectives, innovative approaches and the energy needed to effectively combat climate challenges. To limit their participation because of ageism is to miss valuable opportunities to develop sustainable solutions.
Stereotypes associated with young professionals include assumptions about their lack of experience, wrong attitudes and inability to lead. These biases create difficulties in employment, career advancement and peer-to-peer relationships in the work environment.
However, when it comes to climate justice, ageism takes on an even deeper dimension. The limited access of young activists in the climate agenda to key decisions, the lack of recognition and support due to their age, and the possible loss of promising leaders in the field can all lead to gaps in the effectiveness of climate challenge management.
Recommendations:
State bodies responsible for climate policy should ensure the participation of young professionals in the process of climate policy development and enshrine the role of youth in climate issues at the legislative level. Youth participation in climate issues should be enshrined in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan as well as in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Fiji, Vietnam, and Nigeria.
For example, since 2018 under the Paris Agreement, national youth climate councils have been functioning in European countries and beyond (Canada, Chile, Brazil, Ghana and Costa Rica).
Each has been tasked by their respective environment ministry to provide independent advice on national climate strategies and maintain a regular feedback loop. In Peru, the UN assessed that the inclusiveness of youth in the National Commissions on Climate Change – on an equal footing with other stakeholders involved – had made a significant contribution to increasing the ambitions of the LSMS.
Climate policy should be based on concepts of intergenerational equity. Intergenerational equity is based on the perception that young people are the target group, i.e. those who will be disproportionately negatively affected by the long-term effects of climate change. There must also be an understanding that young people have no voice in current policy and decision-making procedures that shape their future. There is a need to build intergenerational dialogues among climate professionals to share knowledge, experiences and working mechanisms.
Other recommendations include expanding environmental and sustainable development education programs in schools and universities and conducting information campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of climate change issues, especially in national languages. In order to effectively engage young people in environmental agendas, it is important not only to raise awareness but also to provide them with the necessary information, appropriate education and opportunities. It is important that climate change is integrated into education systems not only in terms of understanding geophysical processes, but also social, political, economic and technological aspects. This includes the need to expand environmental higher education in the region in the areas of climate policy, climate science, environmental management, green economy and circular economy and related areas.
More initiatives and financial programs should be created on the part of international organizations and the state to specifically target youth environmental projects, in addition to clean-up days, litter picking, tree planting and short-term environmental education programs.
This includes the creation of national and regional permanent platforms where young people can discuss environmental issues and opportunities to realize their potential.