Climate Action Now!

Abstract

This research aimed at answering the question what factors enable the youth in the Netherlands to mobilize for climate change in light of the global movement, led by Greta Thunberg. The Dutch youth climate movement is a reaction on ‘Het Klimaatakkoord’ that was established after the COP 21. This turned out to be insufficient. In this research a theoretical framework is created, which looks at internal- and discursive resources (framing) and how these are embedded in the POS (allies). The main results are that the youth create awareness about climate change, mobilize others for campaigns and marches, use lobby tactics to give youth a voice in the climate debate. Their message is that large companies, the industry and the government can be blamed for climate change and that a life style change is necessary, because otherwise the consequences will be irreversible. They mainly use the Internet and social media to mobilize, but they also have unique expertise and experiences (fresh look) and knowledge. In this way, they come up with creative solutions to achieve the SDGs. Furthermore, they have a large network of allies that support them and sometimes also provide other resources. In this way they might exert influence in political decision-making, thereby contributing to the SDGs.