“How can Europe contribute to a real just transition?” an EYP Alumni Talk Recap

The question arose from a number of issues on the agenda at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. One such topic was that the recent ‘Adaptation Gap Report’ published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) which demonstrated that vulnerable nations do not have access to even 10 per cent of the funding necessary to adjust to increasingly extreme weather events. Another is the situation highlighted by organisations such as Greenpeace that European investments into a green transition actually ‘deepen inequality’ in the Global South.

The EYP Alumni Talks bring together members of the EYP Alumni community and active EYP members to have vibrant discussions on key issues facing Europe today. On this panel, the Alumni community was represented by Tom Cantillon (IE), who is a Senior Analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Olivia Dearn (UK) was a member of the AFET II committee at Málaga 103rd International Session of the EYP – she brought insights from her committee’s work on neocolonialism and a just transition for the Global South to the panel.

The discussion, moderated by Adrian Saad (DE), kicked off with a question to Olivia about how young people can make their voices heard on these issues. Her response focused on getting involved in activities at local and regional level to start, working in their communities and schools and making use of any resources available, such as social media, to get their message out into the world. Later, Tom echoed the need for local initiatives, when noting that the EU can support the development of green energy in the Global South by investing in the capacity building of local organisations.

The conversation transitioned to focus on greenwashing, which is defined by the EU as ‘The practice of giving a false impression of the environmental impact or benefits of a product, which can mislead consumers’. Here, Olivia highlighted that although greenwashing obscure the landscape when it comes to understanding green initiatives, it is thankfully becoming more important in the European political agenda. Tom called for stricter regulation on corporate reporting, with the goal of more transparency to cut through the fog of greenwashing.

As the discussion moved to considerations for the future, both panellists made clear the need for a shift in the narrative around climate justice. For Tom, European governments need to “acknowledge how migration is often driven by consequences of climate change” rather than making cuts with the “argument of re-routing that money to security and defence”. Furthermore, he alluded to the possibility that these governments prefer not to focus on real climate justice as they may be implicated. “When you look at historical contribution to harm, you are looking at the most developed countries in the world”, so “loss and damage has not been on the agenda because it gets to the heart of these large actors”, he shared.

The speakers wrapped up their conversation by sharing their hope for local action and coalition building.  Tom made the case for a societal approach to the issue. “Building a message and movement is important, but so is reaching across to other movements. Making sure we are involving health groups, farmers, businesses, will allow us to move towards a fairer and more just world for all types of people.” While Olivia encouraged young people to understand that “the skills you gain from experiences like EYP allow you to develop confidence. Skills like research and public speaking can really be developed there.” Becoming politically active can be lonely, Tom noted, “We can feel quite alone in this, we always underestimate how much support there is for climate policies. We need to remind policymakers about this.” Olivia closed by echoing the sentiment and calling for small steps – “Local issue advocacy is about making small differences and then build them into real catalysts for change. That could be joining a school group on climate change or setting one up yourself.”

This activity is part of Alumni United, an EYP project in partnership with the E.ON Foundation, created to keep our alumni connected, help them grow, and empower them to support the next generation of EYPers.