They may be young, but they are taking on a big issue.
A group of passionate Melbourne students are tackling climate change by proposing a new Bill aimed at reducing carbon emission by 20%.
The six students from Melbourne Girls College (MGC) have developed ‘The Compulsory Environmentally Sustainable Industrial Building Bill’, as part of the YMCA Victorian Youth Parliament program.
The Bill demands for all new ‘industrial buildings in Victoria to be built from a minimum of 75% sustainable building materials.’
“Changing climates should be an upmost concern,” the Bill reads. “By implementing guidelines and enforcing rules in relation to building materials, this Bill expects to provide greater environmental stability for generations to come.”
If successful, new industrial buildings will be required to meet the new sustainable regulations, or face monetary penalties.
The Bill proposes government grants for struggling businesses to meet the new regulations, as well as rebates for sustainable buildings.
Climate change is certainly a hot topic, with The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicting a 5-degree rise within the next century.
The team of six students believe this will destroy the sensitive natural habitat of Victoria.
“We think it is important to get the message across that young people everywhere are concerned, and see that something must be done,” MGC team member, Olivia Campisi, said.
The group hopes the Bill will promote responsible industry behavior and ultimately force businesses to take account of their environmental impact.
“We hope to really make a difference and promote the issue of how we are currently living and building, and also to make sure society takes measures to become sustainable,” Campisi said.
Campisi said the team hopes to bring governmental awareness to the issue.
“We hope to raise awareness and get our bill passed forward to a minister. Knowing that our opinions are actually being considered by those in parliament is a real honor.”
The Melbourne Girls College team consists of Olivia Campisi, Claire Rose, Rowan Willis Hall, Violet Davies Brown, Mahanoor Gillani and Iremide Ayonrinde