Generation change

Nationwide 150,000 stand up and speak out

Across Australia the IEUA stood in solidarity with students striking for climate justice on 15 March.

The IEUA commends students for their courage and determination in calling for real action to combat climate change. Students face a future which will be affected by climate change, and they know that the extent and severity of the impact on them and their children depends on decisions made by governments and business leaders today.

We share their deep concerns about the health of the planet that future generations will inherit, and we share their anger at the inaction of policy makers around the world. In the face of clear scientific consensus and strong public concern, governments are failing to take the urgent actions required to minimise and mitigate climate change. Australia’s current federal government deserves particular censure for failing to take meaningful action to address the climate emergency.

Through their participation in this movement, students around the world have shown the courage to reject apathy and embrace hope and solidarity, and by doing so have reinvigorated the campaign for a sustainable future. We support their actions and their democratic right to protest, and we encourage school leaders to respect the decision of students who wish to participate in the global school strike on 15 March.

Finally, and most importantly, we call on politicians and business leaders both in Australia and around the world to heed the vitally important message delivered by these students, and to recognise the clear moral responsibility to leave a sustainable world for future generations.