Zhang Yiwu: Why are Western youth so concerned about gas change

Source: Global Times

During Youth Day, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, thousands of young people took to the streets of Glasgow to stage a protest called "Friday for the Future", which was joined by climate activists such as Thunberg. Surveys show that climate anxiety has become a problem affecting 60% of the world's youth.

Image source: Visual China

Climate change is now one of the core issues of global issues, and it is also closely related to the future of human society, and to some extent, it has formed a global "political correctness" with high value and significance. In the process of continuous formation and focus of topics, Western youth have become an important active factor, and have also exerted a considerable degree of impact on societies in various countries.

On the one hand, the consensus on climate change has been strengthened as a central issue related to the survival and development of mankind and overriding other specific crises, and has greatly influenced the world's environmental movement since the 1960s. Under the discourse on climate change and carbon emissions, related issues have gone beyond the past and often limited to local life, becoming the highest-level movement related to the future of mankind, with unquestionable legitimacy and keyness, occupying an important position in the fields of culture, media, education and other fields, and forming a set of "carbon politics" with great influence in the world. Forces that hold different views on this issue, such as the conservative forces in the United States represented by Trump, have been regarded as obsolete diehards and lack concern for the major issue of human destiny. Climate change is related to the future of the world, the future must be young people, young people are the most concerned about the world's future issues, but also deeply affected by the relevant public opinion, naturally show greater concern, performance is quite active. Even the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also had a huge impact on human society, has paid much less attention to climate change in Western societies than in Western societies, and Western youth have not played a big role in this regard.

On the other hand, the role that Western middle-class youth can play on specific social issues is actually limited, and their vocal paths are difficult to fully develop due to various specific restrictions, and even if they are vocal, they may not be able to attract more attention. At the same time, the issues of concern to young people are often fragmented and diverse, and it is difficult to say that they have global significance. Such a big issue as climate change has its indisputable legitimacy and can inspire the ideals and care of young people. The positive attitudes of Western youth on climate change issues have also been affirmed and encouraged by mainstream Western society, such as Thunberg's popularity, which has encouraged more young people to participate in related activities.

It is worth noting that the movement of Western youth around climate change is often marked by criticism of Western governments, accompanied by accusations of "lip service but not real" and "lack of initiative", and with the attitude of "for the future of mankind, people today should sacrifice", putting forward more radical propositions than the current Western government's emission reduction goals. It should be noted that these radical claims do not form an impact on the existing structure, but are encouraged by an ideal appeal. Western governments, the media, and the public tend to approach it with a willingness to accept it, but with a realistic approach. Thus, the issue of climate change has become a tool for Western societies to build consensus among young people. At the same time, the movement of these young people is further "transmitted" to developing countries and emerging countries through Western society, and Western societies can also use this to criticize and pressure developing countries. The high legitimacy of such activities poses a considerable challenge to the efforts of the countries concerned to strike a balance between development and carbon reduction. This makes the discussion and game around carbon reduction between different countries and societies that need to be based on consensus even more spaceless.

As a responsible major country, China has made solemn commitments to carbon reduction, taken a series of important actions, and made great efforts and sacrifices. The huge production capacity of China's manufacturing industry provides a large number of products that are consumed in Western countries, and Western youth are also consumers, and their overall consumption is far more than Chinese. For the world, there is a need for young people to understand the history and realities of developing countries, the efforts of these countries on climate change, and the inequities in the rights and obligations of developed and developing countries while striving for emission reduction targets. The pursuit of sustainable development through emission reductions is a common goal of mankind, and of course it requires all parties to clarify their respective responsibilities and deal with this important issue more equitably. (The author is a professor at Peking University)