On Thursday, October 12th, our partner Veolia Near & Middle East organized a live podcast event, focusing on youth and climate action. The event’s theme was “The Green Generation: Tomorrow’s Leaders for Today’s Action.” It featured three remarkable youth representatives: Salma Moustaid, a renewable energies engineer from the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment; Habiba Abdulrahman, an ethical influencer and Communications Manager at Fashion Revolution UAE; and AbdelQader Al Saqqaf, an advocate for youth empowerment and former UAE’s Youth Delegate to the United Nations. The engaging discussion was hosted by our founder, Nadine Zidani.
These young individuals are not just victims of climate change; they are also essential contributors to climate action. They serve as change agents, entrepreneurs, and innovators. During the discussion, they underscored the pivotal role they play in combating climate change and highlighted youth platforms and initiatives like Youth 4 Sustainability, supported by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and backed by Masdar, a global initiative empowering the next generation of sustainability leaders. They encouraged their peers to join these initiatives, harness their voices for climate action, and be part of the solution.
Veolia conducted the Ecological Transformation Barometer study in 25 countries, including the UAE, to gauge readiness for ongoing ecological transformation. The reports are available on our Think Tank page. One significant finding was that 26% of UAE residents, particularly 36% of those aged 18-24, struggle to envision the world after ecological transformation. When asked if they found this surprising, all three of the youth representatives replied with an immediate “yes.” They also elaborated on their vision of a green future: one that is inclusive, community-centered, marked by reduced consumption, and reliant on innovation and cultural change.
This conversation was not only energizing but also instilled a sense of hope for the future. It reminds us of our deeper responsibility to empower and mentor our youth whenever possible, providing them with platforms to express themselves and be catalysts for change.
