Having Financial Superpowers doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a lot of money. Young people’s Financial Superpowers are often related to their opportunities to use their savings, income, time and effort in a way that helps the environment. For example, you can use your savings or help raise funds to contribute to causes that help fight climate change and protect nature. You can also help influence how others use their money to take care of the environment. Your time and energy are also invaluable resources, and you can share them by volunteering to help in different ways to save the planet.
Young people’s Financial Superpowers often involve:
- Fundraising to support causes that help the environment
- Shopping sustainably
- Giving sustainable gifts
- Convincing parents, family, and school to choose green power
- Convincing parents and family to learn more about ethical superannuation
- Volunteering
Actions
Climate change is a complicated problem. To tackle it, we need all sorts of people working on all sorts of actions, big and small.
By taking on one (or more!) of these climate actions, you can use your Climate Superpowers as an agent of change at home, your community and beyond. Each action will also help your superpowers grow even stronger!
So, how do want to use your superpowers today?
In these pages, you’ll find ideas, tips, and resources to help you with your chosen actions. We’ll suggest special actions that we think you’d ace, based on your superpowers.
When you complete an action, you can return here and share notes with other young people who are about to take on a similar action in their own lives. Let’s dive in!
Start by choosing which type of action you’d like to explore first:
Learn more about how resources like time, money and energy can contribute to causes that help fight climate change and protect nature.
You can also focus on learning how to influence how others use their money to take care of the environment.
Inform yourself about ethical and clean superannuation and tell the adults in your life.
In Australia, as people earn wages they also save money for retirement that sits in something called a superannuation (or ‘super’) fund. Unfortunately, some of the companies that manage our super invest that money in the fossil fuel industry. By switching to super funds that don’t invest in fossil fuels, we can make sure that our money isn’t being used to make climate change worse. You can read more about this issue and find ethical super funds on the Market Forces website.
Learn about sustainable shopping and the harms of fast fashion.
If you are interested in how to buy clothes responsibly, these resources might be useful for you: Navigating Ethical and Sustainable Fashion for Teens by Good on You and Shop Ethical gives advices on different products, including youth fashion
Learn about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
You can access different resources for children and young people of all ages about the UN Sustainable Goals here. The UN also developed the Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that highlights young people’s crucial role in sustainable development. You can ready about it here.
Do some research on how to make your job or career more sustainable.
Transforming our economy to become a more sustainable society involves both big and small changes. Our daily economies include our shopping habits (for example, how often and how much we buy) and the products that we choose (e.g., reusable vs disposable, imported vs local). As a consumer, you can express your views by supporting businesses that are responsible with the environment and all human beings.
Using your Financial Superpowers is not just about buying things, it is also about saving and prioritising what is important and living more simply. Financial Superpowers are also related to supporting environmental causes by sharing your time and effort through small everyday contributions
Try to buy local products, and fruit and vegetables that are in season.
Next time you want a new outfit, don’t buy something new from a store. Instead, have fun exploring other options like: buying second hand (e.g. at an op shop), mending an old item, or trading clothes with a friend.
Use reusable cups, cutlery, straws, wax wrapping. They also make great gifts!
Donate, help raise funds or volunteer for a cause that you believe in.
Sometimes you may feel that you do not have the material means to make change. Real Financial Superpowers give you the ability to identify what resources are available to you and others – whether that is time, money, goods, or effort – and use them in creative ways. Sharing with others can also help you feel better about yourself and develop a sense of purpose.
Putting your Financial Superpowers into action can help you feel more grateful for what you have and more capable of making change.
Volunteer for a cause you believe in – your time and skills are valuable, and it can feel great to put them to good use.
Reflect on what is really important in your life. Are there any things you currently spend time or money on or worry about, when you don’t really need to? Try to cut back on those things, and focus on the people, things and values that matter most to you.
Sustainable shopping can be expensive. Do things for the environment that also help you save money (e.g., less shopping, less takeaway food).
Plan ways to make your job or career fit as climate-friendly as possible.
Plan ways to make your job or career fit as climate-friendly as possible. You might choose a career path that focuses on climate change, but no matter what your job is, there are always things you can do to make it more sustainable. If you are thinking about your future or already looking for a job, take a look at this article by Ethical Jobs on the skills that young people will need for green jobs in the future. It’s also a great idea to switch to a super fund that doesn’t investing in fossil fuels.
When it comes to transforming society, Financial Superpowers can help us do something about climate change in a way that is fair and equitable for everyone. Financial Superpowers are key to transform our economy so that we can protect both the planet and the wellbeing of people all around the world, independently of age, ethnicity, nationality or occupation. For example, without Financial Superpowers, we would not be able to carry out a fair transition to clean energy.
Your Financial Superpowers are largely influenced by your age and context. Explore the following actions as well as other opportunities to find which option is the best for you.
Support organisations that work on climate justice, using whatever resources you have – whether that is your time, money, networks or skills.
Volunteer, fundraise for or donate to an organisations that is taking climate action.
Support communities that have been affected by increasing number and severity of natural disasters caused by climate change. – in Australia, or overseas.
