Have countries done enough to combat climate change? The youth’s perspective

Illustration by Charlotte Burtner

It is clear: Climate Change is one of the most prevalent issues for Gen Z to deal with. Everyday, big oil companies profit off exploitation of natural resources while global transportation and consumerist culture raise the debts of environmental health. And while the situation is dire across the globe, each country has responded to calls for climate justice differently, ultimately forging the path that Gen Z will shortly undertake. But is Gen Z happy with their country’s climate action? Three teenagers from three countries tell us:

Omer Okutan - Delegate of Turkey

As a consequence of humanity’s selfish actions the world is slowly heating, melting our icecaps and making ocean levels slowly rise. In an attempt to address the alarming rise in global temperature, nations have attempted to take measures to reduce their carbon footprint. Many of such efforts have become obsolete, while others have proven to be successful.

For example, the nation of Turkey boasts a booming economy, which comes with the drawback of producing 409.7 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.  And, the country continues to grow economically, as these numbers do not show any sign of slowing anytime soon. This is why it is imperative to take steps to reduce the country’s carbon footprint. 

As a result of the ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gasses Turkey is producing, the nation has decided to partake in the Paris Climate Agreement, ratifying it in 2021. The agreement is composed of many parts, requiring nations to set goals to lessen their carbon footprint. It also  mandates that countries submit regular reports to the United Nations about their emissions in order to maintain transparency. Along with joining the Paris accord, Turkey has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2053. 

Even though this promise may seem significant, it is a fragile one at best. Turkey is simply doing too little, too late. The nation was expected to submit their long-term strategy to combat climate change to the UN by 2022 but has failed to do so. Closer inspection reveals that Turkey has consistently failed to meet their goals and have pushed back every promise they made. After examining its reports it is apparent that Turkey joining the Paris Accord seems to be a feeble grasp at progress, done simply to keep international pressure at bay. 

According to the Climate Action Tracker, Turkey’s overall rating in dealing with climate issues is rated as “Critically Insufficient”. This rating is greatly supported by the fact that Turkey is currently Europe’s largest coal power producer and controls the world’s third largest coal pipeline. The nation’s overreliance on non-sustainable resources such as coal have been apparent on their yearly emission reports and their inability to reduce production of greenhouse gasses. 

The fact is that the current regime simply does not care enough to make the change from fossil fuels to cleaner sources, and is indifferent to the polluted world they leave behind for the future generations. 

As of now, Turkey is at the highest point in coal production and oil consumption they have ever been at. This goes to prove that pockets getting lined in Turkey can make people ignore the future of others. Unless Turkey’s embarrassing failure to meet the policies that they make changes, the nation will be dragged further and further into reliance on fossil fuels that they cannot replace.

Selma Ladefoged-Kromann - Delegate of Denmark

Ranked fourth on the Climate Change Performance Index- the CCPI- and first on the Environmental Performance Index - the EPI - Denmark can in many ways be labeled as a pioneering country in taking on the climate crisis.

Since 1990, the Danish government has been working towards an ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by seventy percent below 1990 levels by 2030. This is an intention that forces new thinking and an increase of climate-friendly actions.

Solar-cell-based buses operate through the streets of Copenhagen and recycled plastic packages encase our everyday groceries. Windmills stand tall in our horizons, and bicycles - an alternative to driving - shape the Danish culture. Denmark is overall a front runner in the fields of climate-friendly solutions and is without doubt deeply engaged in climate change politics.

But is Denmark’s contribution enough for my generation?

Though Denmark has done some noticeable work in the climate-related field, many, especially Danes, have criticized its efficiency. Some consider their goals too ambitious. Others feel that their policy lacks a concrete scheme, arguing that their climate policy is too focused on emphasizing what they want to accomplish instead of drawing up definite plans and acting on them.

We are home to some incredible green alternatives, but we were only able to reach solutions like those because of our accessibility to a first-rate economy. We have the resources and technology available to reach much greater goals. In fact, according to a survey by EIB, a high percentage of Danes encourage and welcome stricter government measures that could reduce our carbon emissions. Measures such as taxing products and services that contribute the most to global warming or replacing short-distance flights with low-polluting trains. But these efforts and calls have not been met. Proportionally speaking, Denmark could still do more to meet the needs the world needs for a healthy environment.

If we want to reach our ambitious goal of a drastic reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, we must contribute with a greater effort. Because if we want to change the fate of our planet - we must change our way of living first.

Mira Lemstrom - Delegate of the United States

In the United States, our greenhouse gas emissions are 14% of the international total. In 2021, President Biden created the National Climate Task Force with ambitious goals surrounding emissions. This is a groundbreaking and positive development for the nation, but carbon dioxide emissions and pollution are not the only factors causing our current climate crisis. 

Climate change is often thought of just as a large, weather based phenomenon; however, it’s important to focus on the microcosmic changes in the systems which you live in and interact with. 

Living in Florida, water is a main focus of my environmentalism. Our bedrock is made mainly of limestone, which forms the Floridan Aquifer, a system of caverns that store the majority of our freshwater, bubbling up through springs and supplying drinking water to eleven million Floridians every year. (UF IFAS). 

 Agricultural runoff, or the flow of highly concentrated, nitrate based fertilizers into water  is the main enemy of a balanced Floridian ecosystem. The effects of the runoff are felt at varying intensities across the state, reliant on the permeability of an area’s bedrock. Where I live, in North Central Florida, we have thin layers of bedrock above the aquifer, so chemicals applied on the surface penetrate our groundwater very quickly. 

Excess nutrients like in fertilizers cause algal blooms, which creates the green sludge found in many of our springs. This algae outcompetes other plants, and as it dies it sinks to the bottom of the water, absorbing oxygen as it decomposes. This creates dead zones, which kill aquatic life. This happens both on the coast and inland in springs. 

The Florida state government has developed Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) for water basins across the state. I live in the Santa Fe River Basin, and our BMAP was written in 2012. It manages things like the amount of permitted agricultural land, water quality standards, and more. 

While this government plan is a step in the right direction, both the Florida Springs Council and I are not satisfied. They sued the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, posing what they called a “Better BMAP” for increased springs regulation. They won the lawsuit, but so far, the DEP has failed to uphold the regulations set in place. As of October 11th, 2023, the Florida Springs Council has appealed against the DEP. 

Our state government is halfway there in monitoring the springs and our other bodies of water effectively, but they are still lacking. I hope to see improvement in this sector of our government soon before all of our springs and coasts are dominated by harmful algal blooms, or before we have another massive fish die off.

Again, the issue of nutrient pollution in Florida aquatic systems is a drop in the bucket of climate change, but I’ve found it is important to focus on grassroots issues where you live if you’re overwhelmed by taking on activism on a global scale.

Organized by Clara Milosevic