Young Australians leading the charge

AS the plane landed in the national capital, the opportunity of a lifetime was unfolding for Joel and myself.

With little time to spare before the Future Earth conference kicked off, we soon arrived at Questacon to see the beginning of something amazing.

After speeches and presentations, we, for the first time, met face-to-face with the other students involved in creating a Plan for the Planet.

For us, meeting like-minded teenagers who cared about our world was simply the best part of the trip.

The friendships we formed had us working together over the next three days and, more importantly, into the future.

Throughout the event, there was a sense of pride among the students, teachers and organisers about what had been potential that young people have, but it was far from over.

I knew all my new friends had dreams of what would come from the plan, relating to their area.

Our New Town High team wanted to see the biggest issues in Tasmania and Antarctica addressed, such as climate change, education and health.

On a national scale, problems such as discrimination and a lack of sustainable energy have yet to be properly addressed and it needs to happen.

With so many dreams balanced on that moment, my biggest hope for the plan is that our politicians take our work seriously.

The youth of Australia want to make the world a better place. The pilot year of Plan for the Planet is just the first step in achieving this, in recognising that young people can make a difference.

For Joel, myself and students across the nation, the Young Australians’ Plan for the Planet has given us the tools we needed to make a difference, to make our careers dedicated to global change.

Even so, we are only at the beginning. Other countries are already looking to adopt similar programs that will empower young people across the globe. Together, we can make a difference.

planfortheplanet.org.au