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#Decarbonize Global Youth Whitepaper

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Energy We demand that governments enact the following policies to create environmentally sustainable and efficient energy systems in an effort to reduce our contribution to climate change: • Transition from a dependence on fossil fuel energy to an increased use of environmentally sustainable and efficient green energy production methods. • Conduct investigations to determine the most appropriate policy solutions to reduce production and consumption levels of fossil fuels and to determine viability of alternative green energy production. • Regulate, monitor and reduce fossil fuel production and consumption through carbon taxation. Today's young generation believes that energy consumption and production are critical issues that must be addressed by collaborative action. Young people around the world share a common goal of transitioning from a dependence on fossil fuel energy to use of high efficiency green energy production methods. Having said this, we acknowledge that the future of energy cannot be resolved by a one-sizefits-all solution. Our plan to create sustainable energy systems must be achieved through a network of initiatives that take into consideration regional factors such as geography, climate and availability of natural resources, and implement individualized green energy plans in each region. In order to move forward, investigations must be conducted within each region to establish the most appropriate policies and strategies regarding the production and consumption of fossil fuels and determine which forms of alternative green energy production are most viable and readily available in that region. It is also important to note that there are environmental consequences to some renewable energy sources. For example, hydroelectricity requires dams, which disrupts marine life and leave people unable to fish. Therefore, we must ensure that our alternative energy systems are environmentally sustainable. "It is crucial to act on the local, national, and international stages when dealing with climate change." (Ghana) Section I: Moving Forward on Climate Issues Young people from around the globe have addressed six key concerns relating to the transition to a sustainable world. We, the global youth, recognise the need to apply the values demonstrated within these policies in all aspects of our unified fight against climate change. We have done so within our schools and communities, and have expressed our opinions to government leaders. We, young people from all over the world, know that we can and must do more.

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