March for climate: a matter of young people? What if Europe took the lead?

The commitment of Greta Thunberg, 16, is a good example: young people decided to take action. Scientists do not all agree on the time we have to act before it’s too late, but one thing is certain: we need to change our behaviors to engage the ecological transition.

Since September 2018, Greta Thunberg went on strike: school strike. But she does not take the opportunity to go out with friends or watch movies. No, every Friday, this teenager goes to Parliament to raise awareness among the MPs about the fate of the planet. She wants her country to reduce its carbon emissions, in accordance with the Paris agreement.

This commitment inspires followers: in Belgium, Australia or Canada, demonstrations took place. So much so, that at his call, a global school strike was organized on Friday, March 15 and the number of students to have participated in the world is estimated to 1, 4 million. French schoolchildren started later the movement but now they have different claims every week.

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions, the non-compliance with the Paris agreement, or the delay in the development of renewable energies are all reasons that encourage young people to mobilize. In France for example, the goal of reducing energy consumption planned for 2020 will not be achievable until 2026. But this movement was also driven by the commitment of personalities and Youtubers.

Does this awakening of consciousness belong to the younger generations who will experience during their lifetime the consequences of global warming? Are we witnessing an intergenerational gap?
It would seem not since the day after the global schoolchildren strike, 350,000 people marched in the country to support this cause. And this march is not the first: on September 8, October 13, December 8, 2018 and more recently on January 26 and 27, thousands of people mobilized. Their action is completed by a legal recourse “for climate inaction” with petition signed by more than 2 million people to back up. Therefore, this support cannot be attributed solely to young people.

Some unions including seven European organizations also show their support for this movement explaining, among other things, that there is no job on a dead planet. In addition, some yellow vests have swelled the ranks of the March 16 demonstration, a way to show that social and climate issues are not incompatible.

 

Myriam Serres