CONTEXT

In recent months, climate change has taken on an increasingly important position in federal and state government policy. Many cities have more ambitious climate policies than the countries in which they are located. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly clear that young people are at the forefront of pushing for measures to combat climate change, for example in the Fridays for Future movement. This shows that young people not only want to be passive recipients of climate policy, but that young people are also actively shaping public discourse and getting involved in political processes.

PROJECT GOALS

A participatory approach is used throughout the project, expressly recognising young people as citizens of the City of Vienna, and taking their views on climate protection measures seriously.

IMPLEMENTATION

A central element of the research will be workshops held in Viennese schools. This will give the researchers a better understanding of how young people see their future climate, and what climate protection measures they consider to be necessary and possible in the City of Vienna by 2030. Collaboration in the workshops is intended to support the young people and give them a voice so that they can face the challenges of climate change from an early age.

THE GAME

The focus of the project is the development of a climate action game, which is intended to serve as a tool for young people to understand and experience the roles of various actors in the development of climate protection measures in the City of Vienna. The aim of the game is to find a consensus on mechanisms and instruments for climate protection measures in Vienna. At the same time, individual players end up trying to convince other players to support their preferred climate protection measures. In this way, players get a better idea of how possible conflicting goals arise. In addition, players can develop a better understanding of the perceptions of various actors when developing climate protection measures at the societal level and not only from the perspective of the individual. The game will first of all be played with young people who have previously participated in the workshops. This will enable the research team to get feedback on the game and make improvements. After the game is finalised other people who are interested are also invited to play!

WHAT'S NEXT?

In order to ensure that results of the project are long-lasting beyond the duration of the project, the game will be published together with accompanying teaching materials and made available to Viennese schools. This will enable teachers to use the resource independently in their classes.