Young people are using the local elections in Wales to give nature a voice!

For the first time this year, 16 and 17 year olds will have the chance to vote in Wales’ Local Authority Elections on the 5th of May.

Young people involved in the Our Bright Future programme and Stand for Nature Wales project will be seizing this opportunity to give nature a voice and demand that Wales’ Local Authorities do everything they can to tackle the twin nature and climate emergencies.

At 6pm on Thursday 7th April, candidates from across the parties will answer questions from young people at a ‘Speed Debating’ event which will be streamed live via YouTube. This will be a quick-fire event lasting just an hour. It will be chaired by Poppy Stowell Evans, one of Wales’ Youth Climate Ambassadors. Young candidates from the different parties will get the chance to have their say and answer questions from young people.

The candidates taking part are:

Cllr Dhanisha Patel, Labour, Ogmore Vale, Bridgend

Cllr Joel Williams, Conservative, Pontprennau and Old St Mellons, Cardiff

Dewi Jones, Plaid Cymru, Peblig, Gwynedd

Glyn Preston, Liberal Democrats, Llanidloes, Powys

Lauren James, Green Party, Newport

Cllr Beverley Baynham, Independent, Presteigne, Powys

After nominations have closed, in mid-April, we will be inviting the public to reach out to their local candidates about their plans for tackling the nature and climate crises in their area.

Poppy Stowell-Evans (aged 17), who will chair the event, says:

“I’m excited to be voting in these local elections for the first time on May 5th. As a Youth Climate Ambassador, I had the chance to attend COP26 last year and ended my experience feeling more determined to be involved in making change happen than I ever have before. The planet needs everyone to use their voice. These local elections give us all a voice, and it’s really important that we as young people make use of them and make clear to the candidates, those who will be running our local authorities, just how vital nature is for all of our futures. The future of the environment is in our hands as young people because, ultimately, our voice is just as important and needed as those we consider to have the ‘power’. My message is, please don’t be afraid to use your voice!”