The Legacy lives on: Why today's climate fight needs youth at the centre

SPEAKING at the G20 High Level Inter-generation Dialogue in Sandton last Friday, Deputy President Paul Mashatile emphasised the imperative of empowering youth to lead economic and social transformation and to be at the core of the global engagement on the future of the society they will inherit It was warming.

- AYAKHA MELITHAFA

We have observed the month-long sacrament called youth month in South Africa by bemoaning our challenges and celebrating our youth heroes and trailblazers. Now that the elders have once again temporarily remembered the youth of 76 we must not cast our eyes off the existential global crisis the climate crisis.

South Africa's energy transition is both a national imperative and a strategic opportunity for youth empowerment. The convergence of youth unemployment, skills shortages, and infrastructure challenges makes it critical to invest in human capital development for sustainable energy systems.

Demonstrated since the Soweto Uprising of 1976, to today's climate action litigation in the highest courts, South Africa's youth have always been at the forefront of transformational change. Today, as we confront climate change, a defining challenge of our time, it is once again young people who must step up with courage, clarity, and conviction.

Many young people are demanding action to address climate change. They recognise that current policies and targets fall short of what is needed to secure their future. These young activists use traditional and innovative methods to build momentum and advocate for change. Litigation is one method they use to hold polluting industries and governments accountable.

In December 2024, the power of the youth was exhibited not through protest, but through litigation. In a landmark judgment, in favour of the #CancelCoal campaign, the country's first youth-led constitutional climate case.