Glasgow, which is hosting COP26, has a familalr motiff. It’s predominantly male, made up of middle-aged politicians who have parochial national agendas, who enjoy being wined and dined at hospitality suites, skillfully adept at putting off any meaningful progress (before the next global summit, anyway.) We’ve known the planet is in danger for several generations now, and the environment keeps getting worse. We’re destroying our children’s future, and they have no formal say in the process. Why not let children vote at climate change conferences? On the future? Their future?

I’m not talking about hundreds of kids showing up at the next climate conference. I’m talking about one or two teenagers from different countries that are bright, are not overly ideological or controversial, and that want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. There are already a few youth with widespread name recognition involved in the climate change movement, but not all of them have the skillfully balanced disposition needed to win people over. Those

They would have a good understanding of the climate situation, tradeoffs, and so on. They would not be mobbed up with an interest group or NGO with a hidden agenda. They would have a full vote as if they were delegates from a sovereign country. And they would have a say in their future on behalf of the next generation. Is that too much to ask?

Let children vote at climate change conferences.