Political Superpowers help you influence decisions that affect you, including how we can stop climate change and deal with its impacts. These decisions have long lasting effects on our communities, countries and worldwide. Political Superpowers are often used to influence local or national governments, but can also be more informal (for example, when young people become influencers and leaders in their communities, online or offline).
Political Superpowers are related to young people’s agency, freedom of expression, voice, and leadership. They are key to promote justice, equity, and inclusion, by transforming laws, policies, regulations, and governance.
Young people’s Political Superpowers often involve:
- Advocating for more support and resources for communities that are the most affected by climate change.
- Participating in rallies and social movements, like the Strikes 4 Climate.
- Using the law to demand action on climate change, like when young people have sued their governments.
- Influencing your community to do more about climate change (e.g., promoting more and better recycling).
- Supporting policies to protect the environment (by voting, signing petitions).
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:
Youth climate action is everywhere: at home, in the street, online… Become empowered and learn about how you can influence decisions that affect your life and community, as well as the rest of your country and the world.
Find out who your local MP is, and what they are doing about climate change.
Learn about young activists who are making a difference. You can look for documentaries, examples of young people taking legal action, search online to see what groups like School Strike 4 Climate are up to.
Learn about international reports like the Paris Agreement and the IPCC Reports – what do they say about climate change, children and young people?
The Paris Agreement for Young People: check out this resource developed by UNICEF on what this agreement is and why is it so important.
IPCCC Report FAQ and Factsheets: How will climate change affect the lives of today’s children tomorrow, if no immediate action is taken? You can also find out more about how Australia and other parts of the world being affected by climate change here.
Learn about how to use your vote to support climate action. Explore the proposals of different candidates and inform yourself of how to use your vote to support the mainstream and independent candidates that you like.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) put together resources and tips to help young people who care about climate change vote in the 2022 Australian federal elections. That election is over now, but the resources might still be helpful if you are preparing to vote in a future election in Australia.
Learn about how climate action overlaps with other issues you care about, such as First Nations justice, gender equity, disability inclusion, and the rights of children and young people.
Political Superpowers are useful to change our wider society but are also important to transform the places and organisations where you participate in your everyday life, like school, uni, and neighbourhood. In these contexts, your Political Superpowers will help you with important initiatives to build collaborations, negotiate and participate in important decisions.
Join forces with your classmates to talk to your school Principal about how to make the school more sustainable.
Promote youth-led climate action in your everyday life: post on social media, get creative with how you spread the message (e.g., from your t-shirt to the sticker on your laptop).
Talk to your Council, join their Youth Advisory Committee or other programs that they have on climate change
Find out about the latest IPCC Report on the current state of climate change in your region and the rest of the world.
Climate change is a serious global problem. It is normal to sometimes feel tired, hopeless or like you cannot make a difference. Become empowered by joining forces with other people in your everyday life, community and beyond.
Connect with youth-led climate action groups – working together means you don’t have to try to change the world all by yourself.
Here are some youth-led organisations:
Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC)
Climate for Change gathers people of all ages to take climate action
Watch inspiring documentaries about young people making change.
Explore different ways to express your ideas. What works for you? E.g. art, social media, one-on-one conversations, attending rallies.
Make a list of the small actions you have taken recently, and make an effort to congratulate yourself for each one.
Plan something nice to do for yourself (maybe alone or with family or friends) that has nothing at all to do with climate change. Climate action is a marathon rather than a sprint, and you will be most effective if you make time to relax and have fun.
Political Superpowers are key to making social change through more equitable and sustainable laws and policies. Your opportunities to apply your Political Superpowers will depend on your age and circumstances – for example, you cannot vote if you are under 18 years old or attend a Strike 4 Climate if you live very far away from the nearest one – so choose an action that fits for you now.
Send a letter to your MP or talk directly to them.
Climate for Change offers interesting resources and tips on how to engage with your MP on the topic of climate change. Learn how to call or visit your MP, find MP contact details, tips on what you can ask them and more!
Sign or create a petition to support climate action.
Petitions are a valuable and accessible way of making your voice heard by politicians. Here are some useful links for you to get started: How to create or sign an online petition for the Australian Parliament
Change.org helps you create a petition for your local community, country and globally! You can also find hundreds of petitions to support.
Go to a protest like a School Strike 4 Climate or support them online.
When you vote in an election, support candidates who prioritise climate action.
Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations like Seed, Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network, and other Indigenous peoples around the world.
