DITCH DIRTY DEVELOPMENT

Published 2011/07/08 at 10:16 am

Educating students to see beyond the ‘business-as-usual’ paradigm and empowering them to demand a better future for themselves and their loved ones

Engaging secondary- and higher-education students in addressing government policy decisions and demanding an end to support and finance for fossil fuels, is no mean feat. But it is the young people of today who will have to live with the consequences of the decisions we take now. People & Planet promote decentralised, low-carbon forms of energy and see this as a critical path towards reducing greenhouse gases. Their ‘Go Green’ campaign focuses on reducing demand and tackling the issue of supply by challenging public-private investment patterns and instigating institutional behavioural change. They aim to work with over 2,000 students in this educational process, each year.

“Our grant from APE is great news. People & Planet are committed to supporting young people as a force for change in the world. Nowhere is the passion, vision and activism of young people better illustrated than in campaigning on climate change. People & Planet’s campaigns have seen student groups throughout the UK challenge poor environmental policy and practice both at local level, in schools and universities, and at international level, in challenging global leaders to invest in de-centralised, renewable energy. By funding our work, APE are helping to support young campaigners’ demands for a change in the way the world is run and for a more sustainable future.” People & Planet