This time last year I felt truly powerless. A young person filled with fear for the future, but with no way of vocalising it. With flooding increasing and moorland fires ravaging the places I love the most, I felt defenceless. The environment was far from the forefront of anyone’s mind, and things were only getting worse.
Fast forward 12 months and things are getting worse, but there is definitely an increase in awareness. Over the past year, more than 1m people across the world have taken a stand to demand that those in power take action against climate change. Three-quarters of those people are young people.
Young people like me are now getting to utilise incredible platforms such as this to speak directly to those who have the power to make a difference.
So, what do we want you to do?
We want to see you build, consume, vote and act as though our planet is at stake. Because it is. People are often overwhelmed by the sheer challenge facing us, so decide that their actions alone can’t save us. But I promise you they can.
The dictionary definition of a pioneer is “someone who goes before to prepare or open up the way for others to follow”. And that is exactly what we need you to be.
We need you to be innovators, thinkers and go-getters who are able to go against the current tide of convenience and consumerism to lead the way to save our planet. It takes just one person with guts, ambition and determination to change the world. That person can be you.
You have the power to act on young people’s pleas.
Protecting the environment was voted the number one issue by young people across the UK, and so the future of construction needs to be sustainable. There are so many ways that we can begin to change the way we build to make it more eco-conscious. Some examples are:
- Think spatially. We want housing that fits all people, not some people – 46% of young people aged 25-34 are struggling to get on the property ladder. We need to stop building up like the sky is the limit, because for many people the sky just isn’t accessible. We need to start building for those who need it the most, putting inclusivity and accessibility at the forefront of new buildings.
- Innovate with new materials. New materials in the industry are being driven by sustainability and all they need is an investment. The solutions are out there if only you look around and stop defaulting back to what is familiar, because what is familiar isn’t going to save us.
- Revisit old materials with new insight. With more insight and experience as to what constitutes a sustainable build, we are now finding new uses for old materials. It’s true, the solution may be found in the past by putting together what we have now, with what we had then.
Young people want to see sustainability put at the forefront of all decisions and for action to be taken. The decisions you make now are mapping out our future.
We are currently at a deadly crossroad, and it is up to you what future you leave young people. You can leave us with fear and dread – or you can leave us with hope, optimism and most importantly, safety.
As a young person, you notice the power that adults hold in their everyday life. The influence you hold over friends, co-workers, business decisions and those who run our country. It becomes so easy to grow complacent and forget the power you hold.
But on behalf of the current and future generations, I ask you to please use this power. Remember the power that you hold. The power to move mountains, the power to pioneer change, and the power to ignite a generation of hope.
Emma Greenwood gave this keynote speech at EG’s Future of Real Estate summit
