Barents youth demands a sustainable Barents Region

During the Barents Youth NGO and Volunteer Forum 2011 the environmental group of the forum agreed upon a common statement.

- Youth from Russia, Norway and Sweden want a sustainable development of the Barents Region with more focus on renewable energy.

During the forum, the participants agreed on the following demands:

• We demand more production of renewable energy
• We demand higher taxes for pollution. These taxes should be earmarked to green investments
• We demand better communication between the countries and want a Barents Railway Network to be developed.
• We demand no new nuclear reactors to be built in the Barents Region
• We demand decommissioning of the oldest reactors on Kola Nuclear Power Plant
• We demand a future not based on petroleum production

To achieve their goal they believe more investments in renewable energy are needed.

- We all have a responsibility to stop the climate crisis, but we think it’s most fair that the biggest polluters should pay the biggest price. The solution is higher taxes on pollution and to mark these taxes for green investments. We also see the need to build power lines to connect the renewable power productions to the people who use the energy, a common statement from the seminar reads.

The Barents youth do not want to base their future on petroleum production. The oil industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world. The focus in this region should be on sustainable industries and building more renewable energy.

To get more environmental friendly travel through the Barents Region the youths want a Barents Railway Network to be developed. This will make it easier for people to visit each other. There is also a need for safer roads, and transport of products and minerals must be more environmentally friendly and there is also a potential in growth of the tourism industry.

Nuclear energy is not a solution to the climate crisis. Therefore the youths don’t want any new nuclear power plants to be built in this region. The oldest reactors on Kola Nuclear Power Plant should be decommissioned, because they are running on overtime and can’t be upgraded to international safety standards, the statements reads

The environmental group consisted of participants from Priroda i Molodezh, Aetas, Murmansk State Technical University, AUF, Natur og Ungdom, 4H Troms and Luleå University of Technology.