Nearly half of the world’s population is under 30 years old, but globally, only 2.6% of parliamentarians are younger than 30. Among this age group, 76% feel politicians don’t listen to young people. Having found that UAE youth are keen to act for the environment – with 78% wanting to see a culture of social responsibility and environmental sustainability – The Body Shop UAE is tackling the lack of representation and participation and has recruited more than 109 young people since the start of the campaign. The programme provides individuals with opportunities to partake in decision-making, such as working alongside experts in the field through Emirates Nature-WWF and attending different majlis discussions on environmental issues, like climate action, local biodiversity preservation, green recovery and water and food security.
To further drive transformative change among youth, The Body Shop aims to sponsor the enrolment of up to 300 young people in its Leaders of Change programme by 2024. It hopes to ensure those involved are equipped with expert-led training and skills and participate in community collaboration to co-create environmental solutions while giving back to both people and nature via unique volunteering opportunities.
“Young people are our future and their inclusivity on every platform is important,” said Ramzy al Omrani, brand director for The Body Shop UAE. “When we work together, we can all make our voices heard and change the world for the better.”
For more on young people’s environmental activism, see 10 Youth Trends to Watch 2023 and the Karma Cooperative Youth Style Collective.