"We don't have to be perfect, we have to be real.", was one of the opening statements of the #YouthForVEF, the youth event preceding the Vienna Energy Forum that I had the pleasure to moderate two weeks ago at UNIDO's online events studio.
I couldn't agree more that in order to tackle climate change, the time for being perfect is far beyond us. It's so much more about being honest about where we're at and trying to put our real strengths together. And these, of course, differ. Young people have other means for action, change, and impact than older generations.
What I loved about this event was the honest observations of what it is that makes young people such an important driver of change - and by that, can make every one of us more hopeful regarding our common future:
"This is our superpower as young people: we have the time and the energy to fight for the climate."
"We can change the mindset. And the mindset can change the trends."
"What we have, is a perspective that established energy experts who are already in a specific bubble, do not have."
"We need to make sure to stay young instead of pretending to be old and know it all."
"We have the right to live a good life in the future."
Word.