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Climate Change Matters Trust
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Vote for a sustainable future
People of all political persuasions care about the environment and sustainable development - but do major party policies reflect these community concerns? In preparation for the upcoming federal election, national environment groups have compared the environment policies of major parties. Though many students will be too young to vote, they can still get involved in envisaging their future Australia.
Vote for the future
There are now a number of environmental scorecards rating major federal political parties on their environmental credentials:
- The
Climate Institute rates political parties promises in relation to climate change. Click here to view their election report card.
- The Australian Conservation Foundation scores the major political parties on promised action to address environmental threats. The scores are based on an analysis of party policy commitments against ACF's National Agenda for a Sustainable Australia. Click here to view their election scorecard.
- Friends of the Earth have rated the main political parties on their nuclear policies and alert the public to each party's stance on different nuclear issues. Click here to visit their 'Vote nuclear free' website.
Though the majority of secondary students will be too young to vote, many still have an active interest in policies that affect youth and the environment. The election could be an opportunity to explore young people's visions for the future and enhance their understanding of political processes.
Students could:
- use roll play to develop an understanding of different environmental solutions. In small groups, get students to review the environment scorecards and compare policies of different parties. Chose a political party to represent and debate their policies.
- create their own political party and design their own environment policies.
- explore opportunities to take action to influence the political process. for example they could take part in the youth-led Adopt a Politician campaign, to encourage politicians take serious action on climate change.
- start up a process that works with members of their school and local communities to create a vision of their future Australia, that draws on the Local Government and Shires Association's 'Creating a vision for the sustainable future' project.
