I have long been a supporter of votes at 16 and 17 because I think young people should have more say in their future.
The climate change demonstrations have proved, if evidence were needed, that young people not only want to be involved in political change and have their voices heard, but can lead the way.
Politics shouldn’t be about managing expectations but setting ambitious targets and using political will as a driver to get there.
I recognise we are facing a climate crisis. The future of our planet is at stake. That’s why locally, Labour pledged to create a 10-year action plan by June 2020 and commit to making the city carbon neutral by 2030.
I am genuinely excited about setting up a Citizen’s Assembly jointly with Labour and Green Party councillors to take this forward.
It is this kind of co-operative and collaborative politics which will create a safe space for people to get involved and discuss ideas that we can convert into actions. We can only succeed if we all own this.
Already, people have been in touch with me proactively and I want to say thank you for your ideas and desire to be part of this project. In taking that step, you have already made a huge task feel more manageable.
I want to meet with young people who are taking part in the protests, with local representatives of Extinction Rebellion and other climate change activists. I want to hear your views and your solutions. I want to work with you.
While we act locally, we also need to think globally about how governments and big business need to commit to action.
There is no room for climate change deniers and no excuse for making profits from the unjust and unsustainable exploitation of people and planet that has taken us to the brink.
I believe we now have the political will and the people in our city to drive this change.
There are many good ideas set out in our manifesto – and local people will have many more good ideas. Let’s turn ideas into action – and fix the future together.
Councillor Nancy Platts is the Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
We could use the surrounding seas to create power and I do not mean wind turbines.Why has nothing been reported on Hinkley.We could also use some of our defunct canals to move water about.However there is too much profit in Privatisation for it to happen,unless the Utilities are put back where they belong in Public Hands.
There is Climate Change and Change of Climate and the latter has been happening since the beginning of Earts creation.