Skip to content
Media

Youth participation in decision-making on climate and nature to be strengthened by new young people’s climate change and nature group

Government Communications DepartmentMinistry of the Environment
Publication date 20.2.2023 12.21
Press release

A new young people’s climate change and nature group will be established under the Prime Minister’s Office. The group will be tasked to support the ministries in the planning, implementation and impact assessment of youth participation. The aim is to ensure the fairness of different policy measures from the perspective of future generations.

- Weather we succeed in halting the loss of biodiversity and the climate crisis or not, will have a huge impact on young people who will live longest with the decisions we have made. Young people have played a key role in bringing climate and ecological issues to the heart of policy-making. They have a lot to offer to the development of solutions, and their expertise on the different dimensions of the sustainability crisis must be put to more extensive use, says Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo.

The task of the group is to bring new and emerging perspectives and solution models to the knowledge base of decision-making. The group that serves as a sub-group of the Agenda 2030 Youth Group will organise a youth climate and nature summit every two years. The aim of the summit is to enable young people and children to participate more extensively in decision-making concerning their future.

Applications to become a member of the group can be submitted by candidates aged 18-25. The call for applications is open until 8 March.

Young experts aged 18-25 who, through studies or hobbies, have an interest or competence in climate and nature issues from different perspectives are invited to send their applications to become members of the young people’s climate and nature group. The call for applications will include experts in energy solutions, nature-based solutions, construction, green mobility, environmental economics, forestry, circular economy, automotive industry, law, environmental education, communications and event organisation.

The group will have a maximum of 14 members, and its term of office is two years. The application will open on Friday 17 February and it will end on 8 March.  The members will be elected by the Finnish Youth Cooperation Allianssi in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment and the Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Sanna Marin will appoint the group during March.

Inquiries

Taru Savolainen
Chief Specialist
Prime Minister’s Office
tel. +358 295 160304
[email protected]

Heta Heiskanen
Senior Specialist
Ministry of the Environment
tel. +358 295 250 380
[email protected]

Sara Nyman
Climate Policy Adviser
Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi
tel. +358 40 731 4818
[email protected]

Riikka Yliluoma
Special Adviser to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
tel. +358 50 516 1682
[email protected]