Monday 21 September
For immediate release
Young people are calling on the Federal Government to consider the cost to future generations of climate pollution ahead of today’s release of the Federal Treasury’s Intergenerational Report.
The Climate Media Centre has a variety of spokespeople available for media today including young people, parents, economists and child psychologists on the impacts and cost of climate change on Australia’s young people and future generations.
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Gabrielle Platt on 0493 442 307 or [email protected]
For enquiries after 3.30pm, please contact Danielle Veldre on 0408 972 997 or [email protected]
Case studies and experts available for interview
Anjali Sharma, Founder of the Duty of Care Campaign
Anjali campaigns for intergenerational climate equity. Anjali led a class action of young people against the federal Environment Minister and now campaigns to legislate a Climate Duty of Care. She wants her generation to be front of mind in the energy transition.
Location: Canberra, ACT
Anjali said: “The Treasurer’s intergenerational report is pointless. Young people won’t be looking at this report to know their future. What use is a report forecasting the next forty years by a government failing to tackle the greatest challenge of our time?
“To avoid climate catastrophe, governments in Australia must legislate their Duty of Care to protect young people and future generations. Without implementing this, any attempts by the government to forecast the future are futile.
“No more empty promises of intergenerational fairness. We want serious protections for our future now.”
Nicki Hutley, Climate Councillor
Nicki Hutley is a highly experienced economist, with expertise in macro- and microeconomic forecasting and analysis gained over three decades of practice in financial and investment markets and in economic consulting.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Mary Pilkinton, Programs Manager at Climate for Change
Mary is 26 years old and lives in Sydney. She is the Programs Manager at Climate for Change, a nonprofit organisation which focuses on empowering Australians to have better conversations about climate change.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Mary said: “Seeing the impact climate change has already had, it's terrifying to think Australia will still be digging up coal and gas when I could be a grandmother in my 70s. I think a lot about the world I will live in, and what I'll have to explain to children in the future.”
Gia Mehdi, Communication Lead and NSW Grassroots Mentor, Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Gia is 23 and serves as the communications lead and NSW grassroots mentor for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. She is also completing her master's degree in Public Policy at the University of Sydney, complementing her passionate work growing the youth movement for climate justice. Alongside her colleagues, she’s developed AYCC’s new national campaign on climate education and fossil fuel sponsorships in schools, launching on the 22nd of September.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Dr Cybele Dey, Child psychiatrist
Dr Dey is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a paediatrician who does research into the impacts on mental health of climate change. She says there’s a clear link between climate change and mental health.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Shalinie Navaratne, Vets for Climate Action
Shalinie is a 26 year old veterinarian working in Melbourne's West, who is involved with Vets for Climate Action, advocating for climate action to protect the animals and environment that Australian’s so love.
Location: Melbourne, VIC
Shalinie said: “The rapid progression of climate change has led to a loss of hope and increased anxiety about our futures, with it possible that the future we envision will not be that of reality. The lack of action from larger bodies such as corporations and governments has resulted in this acceleration and a loss of trust with the communities. Frequent and irregular extreme weather events are one of the largest drivers behind the cost of living crisis making it incredibly difficult for younger generations to deal with the increasing cost of everyday living.”
Georgia Monaghan, Co-Founder of ECOMIND
ECOMIND is Australia’s leading youth climate mental health and wellbeing charity. Georgia can speak to the impact of climate change on young Australian’s mental health.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Zali Fisher, UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador
Zali is a Board Director at ECOMIND and in her final year studying law and international security, with a particular interest in intergenerational climate justice and policy. Having grown up deeply worried about the future of the environment, Zali resonates strongly with EcoMind’s dual focus on climate action and mental health. In her role as UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador, Zali is directly engaging with other young people, leaders and decision makers, especially on matters related to climate change and mental health.
Location: Brisbane, QLD
Grace Vegesana, National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is Australia’s largest youth-run organisation, with a mission to build a generation-wide movement of young people to solve the climate crisis.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate
Parents for Climate is Australia’s leading climate advocacy organisation for parents and carers. Nic can speak to Australian parents’ desire to secure a safe climate, protect the people and places they love and create happier and healthier lives for Australian children.
Location: Sydney, NSW
Nic said: “You can celebrate paying down your credit card while ignoring the insurance costs that are skyrocketing. That's what this report risks doing. A better-looking budget in 2066 means very little to a family who's watching their insurance premiums climb, their grocery bill climb, and their sense of a safe future slip away because Australia continues mining and burning planet-heating coal and gas.
"Treasury's previous long-term modelling shows climate change will hammer the Australian economy by $135 to 423 billion dollars. So, you can't then turn around and claim debt will magically be lower in 40 years' time by ignoring inevitable spending on climate harm. Either you're being honest about the cost of climate impacts, or you're cooking the books.
"As families, we don't get to look away from this. Treasury can balance a spreadsheet, but it can't balance a childhood spent worrying about bushfires, floods and a future that feels smaller every year. None of us can fix this alone, but all of us - as parents, as decision-makers - have an obligation to make sure the ledger we hand our kids counts more than dollars.”
Contact details:
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Gabrielle Platt on 0493 442 307 or [email protected]
For enquiries after 3.30pm, please contact Danielle Veldre on 0408 972 997 or [email protected]