A Youth Strategy for Public Outreach on Climate Change

The report outlines a comprehensive engagement strategy for Canadian youth (ages 13-29) to combat climate change, moving beyond simple marketing to a model of active engagement. It identifies a significant 'knowledge-behaviour gap' where youth are aware of issues like recycling but do not act, often due to a lack of trust in institutional mechanisms and a perceived lack of action by elders. The proposed strategy is structured around three interrelated streams: information and awareness campaigns, capacity building for youth (focusing on employment and leadership), and community actions. Key recommendations include tailoring messages to specific segments—such as aboriginal youth and 'early adopters'—and integrating climate education into school curricula from Grade 1. The strategy emphasizes that youth should be recognized and rewarded for their contributions and that success requires visible commitment from older Canadians and institutions.

• Personal behavior change alone is insufficient for significant greenhouse gas reductions, necessitating an 'engagement strategy' rather than a traditional 'marketing strategy' to turn knowledge into action.
• A 'knowledge-behaviour gap' exists among youth, where awareness of environmental issues does not translate into action, partly because youth respond negatively to the same gap in authority figures and elders.
• Youth perceive climate change as a global issue but struggle to make it personal; however, themes of health and employment serve as effective 'triggers' for engagement.
• The strategy identifies three primary target audiences based on their current occupation: secondary school students (13-17/18), college/university students (17/18-24), and employed/unemployed youth (17/18-29).
• Aboriginal and Northern youth demonstrate a stronger, more fundamental connection to the land and the environment, which can be leveraged to lead by example.
• The proposed strategy is organized into three streams: information and awareness campaigns, capacity building for youth to develop leadership and employment skills, and community actions to keep the issue personal.
• Youth are highly media-savvy and reject 'cheesy' ad campaigns, preferring hard facts, graphic images, and meaningful messages that do not 'talk down' to them.
• The report argues that for a youth strategy to be effective, there must be visible commitment and action from older Canadians and Canadian institutions.
• The strategy suggests that youth should be recognized, respected, and rewarded for their contributions to emissions reduction to reinforce positive behavior.
• The report notes that youth's direct contribution to Canada's greenhouse gas emissions is likely very low (estimated at 5-6% of the 25% from personal lifestyles) because they often live communally and use alternative transport.

APA

Creech, H., Buckler, C., Innes, L., & Larochelle, S. (1999). A Youth Strategy for Public Outreach on Climate Change. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/youth_eng.pdf

Chicago

Creech, Heather, Carolee Buckler, Lani Innes, and Serge Larochelle. A Youth Strategy for Public Outreach on Climate Change. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 1999. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/youth_eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Creech |first1=Heather |last2=Buckler |first2=Carolee |last3=Innes |first3=Lani |last4=Larochelle |first4=Serge |title=A Youth Strategy for Public Outreach on Climate Change |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=31 March 1999 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/youth_eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{creech1999youth, author = {Creech, Heather and Buckler, Carolee and Innes, Lani and Larochelle, Serge}, title = {{A Youth Strategy for Public Outreach on Climate Change}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {1999}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/youth_eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }