Erik Rõsljajev, head of foreign relations of the Central Party’s Youth Council
Recently, 270 young people from Central and Eastern Europe met at a conference in Wroclaw, Poland, who care about what Europe will be like in 2050. I can confirm in advance that the participants who came were broad-minded and motivated to bring about positive changes in the world.
Young people believe in real action and cooperation, not symbolic photos with politicians. We try to keep the streets and nature clean, choose bicycles and electric scooters more often, think about a greener lifestyle and promote cleaner energy sources. In Poland, we gathered to encourage young people through both political and independent social activism and to raise our awareness and confidence.
The free public transport surprised me
70% of Estonians aged 16–25 are seriously worried about climate change. We can see how it is already affecting our daily lives and showing tangible consequences in areas such as the environment, economy and society. We understand that all countries have different needs, goals and plans, but we also emphasize the need for change, especially in the energy sector. We are concerned that due to the lack of investment in greener solutions, we may not reach the goals of the European Union’s transition to renewable energy.
We can bring about change in traditional energy sources like coal mining, but to do that we need to redirect revenues from polluting industries into new energy-friendly projects. Also, the market must be open and free for people to generate energy, whether through solar panels or wind turbines. Changes take time and are not so easily implemented, but we should invest strongly in these areas. By ensuring the development of renewable energy projects, we show future experts in the field that there is a need for their knowledge and skills.
Young people are also greatly concerned about the education system that does not meet the needs of the labor market and consumer awareness. We see a lack of quality and affordable technical education and practical experience. The country should make bolder moves on behalf of future specialties – Estonia could be a locomotive in the world, not just one wagon among many.
The conference participants were genuinely surprised when I spoke about free public transport in Tallinn and the county, which offers an alternative to cars on the one hand and is an important support for low-income families. I have lived in different foreign countries and I can confirm that ground public transport – buses, trams and trolleys cannot compete with the metro – is world-class in every respect. For those who are bothered by traffic jams in Tallinn, I recommend navigating during rush hour in a big city – it will seriously test your nervous system. Public transport is popular among young people, and we should definitely continue to work in this direction.
Energy sector in focus
However, Estonia has a lot to learn. The energy crisis and skyrocketing prices have shown that we have not yet done enough to be self-sufficient and sustainable. The crisis caused by the war in Ukraine highlighted the bottlenecks of the countries, which everyone is trying to quickly patch up.
We could exploit our oil shale deposits and reinvest the profits in sustainable sources, and greater focus must be directed to vocational training in the energy sector. We must also prioritize the quality of education, develop and implement new teaching methods to prepare our professionals. We need to show that environmental and energy jobs are in demand with competitive wages. We need educated young people who are ready for change.
The world is changing fast and we need to make sure we keep up with the times. We need a pragmatic yet optimistic outlook for a better future for all of us. There are more of us on planet Earth than ever before – soon to be 8.1 billion.
