Environmental issues and youth: Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies

ACYS > Resources for youth studies & youth work > Topics > Environmental issues and youth

This website concentrates on resources for youth researchers and for those working with youth. For more information on this topic, see one of the youth-specific websites such as:

Youth Environment Society
http://www.yesworld.org.au/
Youth Environment Society is a youth-run, non-profit organisation designed to give youth of Australia a voice in our community to deal with pressing environmental issues head-on. YES aims to gain sensible, sustainable results for a positively green future.

Youth LEAD: Youth Leadership in Environmental Action Development http://www.ozgreen.org.au/program_youth.php
This initiative aims to build a national network of young leaders to work in their local community and beyond to build a life-sustaining society. Youth LEAD provides leadership training and mentoring for young people aged 15 to 25 to help develop eco-social projects that address their major concerns and forge pathways to sustainable futures.

Other sites of interest are listed below:

Green Corps, Young Australians for the Environment, is an Australian Government youth development and environmental training program for young people aged between 17 and 20 years. Green Corps provides young people with the opportunity to volunteer their time and effort to conserve, preserve and restore Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage. See: http://www.greencorps.gov.au/

Australian Government environment portal
http://kaos.erin.gov.au/
The Environment Portal provides access to online services and information provided by Australian, State and Local Governments. Information is organised by seven broad environmental themes - Atmosphere, Biodiversity, Coasts and Oceans, Environment Protection, Heritage, Inland Waters, and Land.

Conservation Volunteers Australia
http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au
CVA has major programs with a focus on youth development; many of the volunteers are young international travellers participating in conservation experiences on environmental projects throughout Australia.

The Sustainable Living Competition
http://www.sustainableliving.com.au/
This national competition rewards High School students for environmental projects undertaken in the classroom or individually. It runs every year and encourages students to conduct projects that either research issues of sustainability, design sustainable solutions to environmental problems or take action on an issue they are passionate about. The competition also rewards schools that take on the challenge of sustainability.

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition was formed in late 2006 and its foundation members include local youth councils, youth environment groups, youth arts organisations, campus clean energy groups, student unions, faith-based groups, Indigenous youth organisations, and young professionals. This non-partisan coalition is 'determined to mobilise our entire generation in the struggle for climate justice and a clean energy future. We are demanding immediate and meaningful action on climate change by government and private sector leaders. We support renewable energy and oppose nuclear power. We believe that Australia is lacking the political leadership to stop climate change and we intend to hold those in power to account not only to our generation, but all future generations, for their actions today. We are open to all organisations with significant youth leadership or involvement, and all young Australians passionate about stopping our climate crisis'. (Source: AYCC website, viewed 24 April 2007.)