Youth forum takes control of sustainability

Forty delegates from across Victoria participated in the inaugural Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand’s (EIANZ) Sustainability Youth Forum.

Ranging in age from 19–30, from regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne, with backgrounds in health, environmental science, laws ,arts, marketing and business administration, these delegates came together to develop responses to sustainability issues facing business and the community.

Concentrating on four key areas of water, waste, climate change and social sustainability, this intensive forum produced position papers with bold, innovative youth-perspective solutions which call for the government to exercise true leadership by effecting immediate necessary measures.

Key ideas include:

• Waste: A waste star labelling scheme, similar to the energy rating labelling systems currently used for whitegoods. Including inputs of various resources, transport and disposal for all stages of life cycle.
• Social sustainability: Provide incentives to encourage volunteer work: the government reduces amount of taxes for volunteers — organisations log their volunteer hours and send them to the ATO where volunteers can claim a tax deduction.

EIANZ Forum organisers Gordon Young and Stacey Bloomfield will present the Federal Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett with these position papers at the Environment Institute’s Annual Conference Gala Dinner and Merit Awards at the Langham Hotel, Southbank.