Young people as a political subject in the context of environmental governance

The discourse surrounding environmental challenges, particularly climate change, has been significantly shaped by recent youth-led social movements like Fridays for Future. These movements have mobilized young people globally, influencing public discourse on climate action. However, the extent to which youth have gained recognition as a distinct group with specific interests within environmental policy and governance remains unclear. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the positioning of youth in contemporary environmental governance. It examines how the subject category of "youth" is constructed in public discourse, focusing on the interplay between recognition, discourse structure, and legitimacy. The study's importance lies in understanding how these dynamics shape the participation and influence of young people in environmental policy and decision-making processes. The increasing awareness of intergenerational equity and the urgent need for climate action highlight the critical need to understand how youth voices are being heard and incorporated into environmental governance structures. The insufficient political commitment, inaction, and lack of accountability from the prevailing political elite, often perceived as having different aspirations and priorities compared to younger generations, are central to this investigation.

Existing literature extensively documents the emergence and impact of youth-led environmental movements, particularly their use of street protests and legal avenues to challenge political objectives. Studies highlight youth's effective use of litigation, alliances with NGOs, and the mobilization of global climate strikes to hold governments accountable. However, research specifically focusing on youth's positioning within environmental policy and governance is comparatively limited. While youth activism is not new, the recent wave raises crucial questions about inclusivity and sustainability in high-level decision-making. The current literature shows that while young people are recognized as an important demographic, this recognition often expects conformity to existing narratives and predefined roles. This study seeks to fill this research gap by offering a theoretical perspective on how the subject category of "youth" is constructed in public discourse and how this impacts political recognition.

This study uses a document analysis approach to investigate the positioning of youth in environmental governance. The research focuses on the emergence of Greta Thunberg as a prominent voice for youth climate activists. Fourteen pieces of media articles, including transcripts from speeches delivered at significant international political events (the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in New York, the 2019 COP25 UN Climate Conference in Madrid, and the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos), were selected for analysis. The selection was purposeful, aiming to examine formative moments in shaping the public's perception of young environmental activists. The analysis draws on the concept of discursive order, focusing on how the subject category "youth" is constructed through discursive practices, who is included or excluded, and how recognition as a legitimate political subject is conditioned. This includes examining how Greta Thunberg and the media portray young people, particularly young climate activists, their positioning relative to other subjects (politicians, scientists), the definition of their role in environmental politics, and the implications for inclusion and visibility. The analysis also considers how Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future construct "youth" and how this is received by the media. The researchers acknowledge the limitations of the specific case study, emphasizing that the objective is not to generalize to broader populations but to refine and clarify the theoretical understanding of youth's repositioning in environmental governance. The study also acknowledges the limitations of focusing solely on traditional media outlets, neglecting the significant role of online platforms and social media in youth environmental activism and the interplay between traditional and new media.

The analysis reveals how the subject category "youth" is constructed and regulated within the public sphere. Greta Thunberg's speeches, while critically examining the actions of political leaders, reinforce existing power structures by acknowledging the traditional authority of political elites. Her positioning of youth as a party holding the political class accountable maintains a dependent relationship, reinforcing established roles. The media's representation of youth activism, however, often centers on Greta Thunberg, overshadowing other young activists and potentially creating a biased image of youth activism predominantly associated with Western, white, and middle-class individuals. Incidents like the cropping of Vanessa Nakate from a photo alongside other activists highlight the media's role in regulating visibility and potentially perpetuating biases. Research also demonstrates a tendency to use universal categories that oversimplify the diversity of experiences among young people, focusing mainly on activists from the Global North and neglecting activism from other regions. The study found that the public discourse around youth engagement in environmental issues often relies on a science-driven narrative, which may risk overshadowing other significant social and political aspects. While acknowledging the importance of scientific discourse, the researchers note the potential displacement of other perspectives, particularly indigenous knowledge systems, creating an unequal power dynamic and limiting inclusivity. The actions of Fridays for Future, while effective, do not fundamentally challenge existing power structures and thus adhere to the norms of the public sphere, ensuring legitimacy and recognition. However, other forms of activism, such as civil disobedience, are often negatively characterized. The study identifies the regulation of visibility as a crucial aspect of how political action is evaluated.

The findings highlight the complex interplay between recognition, discourse, and legitimacy in shaping the role of youth in environmental governance. The study challenges the simplistic view of recognition as solely a positive act of inclusion. It underscores how acts of recognition can simultaneously reinforce existing power structures and limit the potential for transformative change. The focus on Greta Thunberg, although highlighting the importance of youth voices, also illustrates how the public sphere can limit the visibility and influence of other activists. The dominance of scientific discourse, while helpful in framing the urgency of climate change, also risks excluding other crucial perspectives and forms of knowledge. The study suggests that while the efforts of Fridays for Future demonstrate the potential for youth to impact environmental policy, it is equally crucial to acknowledge the limitations imposed by existing power structures and the need for more inclusive and representative modes of participation. The study's findings highlight the need for critical reflection on the mechanisms that shape the visibility and legitimacy of various forms of youth activism. It calls for a more nuanced approach to recognizing and incorporating youth voices in environmental governance, ensuring equitable representation and considering diverse perspectives beyond those of prominent figures and Western, dominant narratives.

This research offers a critical perspective on how the subject category of "youth" is constructed in the public discourse surrounding environmental governance. The study underscores the ambivalent nature of recognition, demonstrating that while it can enhance the visibility of previously marginalized groups, it can simultaneously reproduce existing power dynamics and limit the agency of those seeking recognition. Future research should explore the evolving approaches to activism, including shifts from traditional formal political action to civil disobedience, and analyze the impact of such shifts on gaining recognition as a legitimate political subject. Further investigation is needed to understand how governmental crackdowns on environmental activism impact young people's ability to engage politically and determine which forms of youth engagement will be accepted within the increasingly restrictive public sphere.

This study is limited by its focus on a specific case study and its reliance on traditional media representations of youth activism. The selection of Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future, while providing rich insights, may not fully capture the diversity of youth-led environmental movements globally. The emphasis on traditional media sources may undervalue the crucial role of online platforms and social media in shaping public discourse. Future research should broaden its scope to incorporate a more diverse range of cases and utilize mixed-methods approaches to capture the multifaceted nature of youth participation in environmental governance. The study's findings are context-specific and their generalizability to other settings might be limited.