Climate change through a youthful lens

Ahead of the UAE’s participation in COP27, the EAD’s announced a survey for the youth.

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced the UAE’s largest-ever youth survey on climate change.

Ahead of the country’s participation in COP27, The EAD Youth Survey on Climate Change hopes to target 10,000 people between the ages of 15-29. Panning all seven emirates, the survey will measure their sentiment and views on the most pressing environmental issues.

According to Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, “Young people are the future and will have to deal with the consequences of climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and threats to our environment, so it is only fair that they have their say and that we listen to them, give them a seat at the table and, in doing so, tap into their immense potential, their perspectives, creativity, and problem-solving skills.”

For the generation facing arguably the greatest threat to humanity, the survey is imperative to measure environmental attitude, accountability, conservation behaviours, and sustainability. The survey will also measure the impact of recent single-use plastic policies on shifting youths’ habits.

The EAD plans to work through its youth engagement platforms, including the Sustainable Schools Initiative network of 153 schools. There’s also the Sustainable Campus Initiative, which includes 24 active universities and reaches more than 500,000 students, as well as its network of stakeholders and youth programme partners to maximise participation in the survey.

The results of the EAD Youth Survey on Climate Change will be published in November, parallel to the UAE’s participation in COP27 and the one-year-to-go mark for COP28.

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Image source Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi

Caroline D’Almeida

A little bit of India, a little more of the UAE, and a lot of shawarma perhaps best captures Caroline’s anatomy. An avid believer in value for money, her hobbies include putting the ‘elite lifestyle’ to the test. And finding cheaper dupes for it all. A Sharjah girl new to the capital, she hopes to discover the pulse of the emirate.