The voices of young people matter; this youth week and every week thereafter

This week, Monday 18-Sun 24 May, is Youth Week in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a time to recognise both the wonderful and the challenging experiences of our rangatahi, and listen closely to what matters most to them.

This year’s theme, “Our voices matter! We deserve to be heard | Taringa whakarongo! Ki te reo o ngā taiohi,” is a reminder that when young people speak up about the pressures shaping their lives, our decision-makers should pay attention. And young people have indeed been speaking up.

At Te Hiringa Mahara, we have spent years listening to the voices of our rangatahi and young people; what matters to them, what concerns them, and what they feel about the future here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In 2023, our youth wellbeing insights report identified four key ‘barriers to wellbeing’ - things that get in the way of being well - for young people across the motu. Those centred around uncertain futures (which included distress relating to climate change), racism and discrimination, social media and online harms, and challenges to whānau wellbeing and intergenerational connections.

The release of the Climate Change Commission’s latest risk assessment recently gives us another reason to take the uncertain futures concern seriously. The comprehensive report should prompt a broader conversation about the mental health and wellbeing impacts climate change is having on rangatahi and young people today.

Young people have repeatedly told us that for them, climate change is not a distant issue on the horizon. Rather, it is a present and pressing reality in their lives. Further, the feeling that action is too slow or too small can contribute to distress, hopelessness, and disempowerment. In our research, young people talked about climate change not only as an environmental or economic challenge, but as something that is weighing heavily on their sense of safety, agency, and even their hope for the future.

For many rangatahi, the understanding that they will inherit the social, economic, and environmental consequences of climate change is already affecting their wellbeing. Worry about extreme weather, disrupted communities, rising costs, and a future that feels uncertain can create real stress in the present.

It should be noted that the burden of worry is not felt in the same way by everyone. Many young people, particularly rangatahi Māori, describe the environment and natural world as central to their wellbeing, identity, and sense of connection.

Aotearoa has already seen the impact of significant, climate-charged weather events in recent years, months, and even weeks. Those experiences do not end when the immediate emergency is over. They can leave lasting effects on people’s mental health, sense of stability and trust in the future, especially for young people trying to make sense of what lies ahead.

If, as a country, we are serious about young people’s wellbeing, then we need to take seriously what they are telling us. They are telling us they want stronger climate action, and they want to be genuinely involved in shaping the decisions that affect their futures.

Youth Week should be a prompt for us all to reflect on what is weighing on rangatahi, and in turn, our responsibility to respond. That is why it is important to see climate change and mental health as part of the same story, not two separate ones. Recognising that connection means designing climate policy and planning with young people, not just for them, and making sure support, community connection, and a sense of agency for our rangatahi are integral to the way Aotearoa New Zealand responds.