Silje Lundberg

COP18: Norwegian youth campaigners thinking local and global

COP18 (07/12/2012) – Silje Lundberg from Young Friends of the Earth Norway describes how their membership in Norway has rapidly increased 4000 members to 7000 young people under 25 working on environmental issues. She says they work on climate change but also more local conservation issues like Norway’s forests, linking local, national and international environmental policies.

She describes how they are working to make environmentalism accessible so that everybody can be part of the solution, and everyone’s voice can push for ambitious climate policy in Norway.

She describes how the Norwegian youth organisations at COP18 met with the Norwegian environment minister, and were told that he understood their message clearly and knew what they wanted him to do. However, she accepts that their voices are not having enough impact if you consider the inadequate ambition on display from developed countries at the conference.

After the conference, she says her organisation will continue pushing the Norwegian government for stronger environmental policies, and will campaign against oil drilling in the most vulnerable areas of northern Norway.