Four young Canadians who met with parliamentarians about climate policy in September said the chance to have a civil discussion about climate issues was invaluable. But now they want to see action from their government.
Hargun Rekhi, a 23-year-old environmental studies student at York University, said the main thing she enjoyed about attending the Canadian Youth Climate Assembly (CYCA) was that it provided a space for people to share their political opinions and suggestions for future action.
"I think spaces like that should exist outside of structured environments ... and sometimes it is very hard to cultivate-especially as you get older. The conversations you get exposed to become sort of 'echo chambery,' where you hang out more with people who share similar opinions to you," Rekhi told The Energy Mix.
Granted, those attending the assembly tended to have similar opinions, she added. "But the discussions were fairly productive because you gained a lot of information from other people and the specific knowledge pools that they were bringing to the table."
Rekhi was one of 36 youth between 18 and 25 who were selected by lottery from a pool of 700 applicants. The CYCA website says the assembly was focused on one central question: "What do young Canadians want Parliament to do to meet Canada's climate commitments in a way that reflects their values and priorities?"
Participants attended a series of meetings with experts leading up to the event. Those meetings were important to get everyone on the same page about climate data and knowledge, even if they ended up arguing from different sides, said another participant, Hallie Robinson, engagement and communications coordinator for the Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts.
"Learning how to have productive conversations and not just go into inflammatory language felt a lot more productive, even if what we were saying wasn't compatible," she said. The event also helped establish a network of like-minded peers, and Robinson said she's been keeping in touch with some other participants.
Liam Breckenridge, a 24-year-old from Fredericton, New Brunswick, said there seemed to be a general consensus around the reality of climate change, adding that interaction among the members felt quite natural. And while they all had different experiences and priorities-like focusing on wildfires, energy efficiency, and green energy-the participants "all had a common goal of trying to get the government to focus on climate change." That "led to a healthy amount of debate, but it was always very civil," he added.
Breckenridge told The Mix that, over the course of the assembly, his own priorities for what he wanted to see addressed by Parliament shifted. He was initially focused on Canada's worsening wildfire seasons. But after learning more at the assembly, he instead prioritized ending oil and gas subsidies because he "realized that if we focus solely on addressing the symptoms, rather than the cause, we won't really be getting ahead."
Overall, the CYCA members who spoke with The Mix said the process felt collaborative, including with the senators they met. As part of the process, the participants drafted a set of recommendations that will be released later in the fall.
Mohammad Akib Hossain, a 24-year-old computer science student from Bangladesh who currently lives in Regina, said that after the CYCA members presented their recommendations, parliamentarians followed up with questions. "The process felt extremely collaborative" and it felt like youth voices were heard, Hossain added.
Robinson agreed, saying the "senators I spoke to seemed eager to support and help (the participants) advocate for our recommendations." Breckenridge added that the senators were "quite keen to hear what we had to say," and he "felt like they were trying to understand" the group's priorities.
The collaborative process of the assembly and the opportunity to engage in civil conversation with diverse viewpoints were notable to the participants. But now they want to see the federal government follow through with actions based on their recommendations.
"In the shorter term, I'm hoping to see our recommendations being advocated for in Parliament, and I'd love to see the adoption of our recommendations," said Robinson, noting that many of the assembly's key points have already been advocated for by other groups.
"And I hope that, for those of us who continue to try and push these recommendations and issues forward, I hope we are given the time and space to continue being involved in these conversations."
Source: The Energy Mix
