At Cumberland Lodge , we believe in empowering young people to lead the conversations that strengthen social cohesion and shape a more just and inclusive society.
In a Cumberland Conversation with our Chief Executive, Fergus Drake OBE , this week, eminent writer and campaigner Jonathon Porritt reminded us why listening to the next generation matters so deeply.
Ahead of his Conversation, we asked Jonathon to reflect on key questions around youth leadership, climate, and ethical politics.
How can young people make their voices heard?
It’s difficult. We live in political and economic systems where young people’s voices are largely marginalised. Politicians often don’t care very much about their views. They tend to patronise them rather than truly listen.
For that reason, young people need to be incredibly well organised, resilient, and aware of just how hard it is to break through those barriers in conventional political thinking.
I’ve just spent a year working with 26 Just Stop Oil campaigners. One of the reasons I co-wrote my latest book with them is because they could not get anyone to listen to what they were saying. Their perspectives on the climate crisis are very different from mine. At 75, I see it differently from how they see it at 25. But their urgency and clarity highlight how much is at stake for their generation.
What are young people looking for in leaders?
Young people are looking for more honesty than they usually get from politicians. Leaders find it very difficult to admit uncomfortable truths – for instance, that our growth-driven economic model is unsustainable. The idea that every year must produce more growth than the year before is one of the main drivers of environmental destruction and the climate crisis.
Young people see through this. They expect more transparency, consistency, and accountability. They also expect fairness. They can see how unequal, divisive, and unjust society already is, not just between social groups but between generations.
That’s why my new book is centred on intergenerational justice. Many young people recognise that the odds are stacked against them – the economy, the prospects, the opportunities are not as good as for previous generations. They know the system is unfair, and they want leaders to face up to that.
Can you give an example of change that offers hope?
For me, the clearest example lies in communities. When young people are given genuine opportunities to help shape the places they live in, you see transformation. That could be in housing estates, schools, or urban neighbourhoods.
We’re not very good at this in the UK. Too often, community spirit and energy are wasted. But in parts of Europe, there’s a stronger culture of devolving resources and influence to the local level, and that makes a real difference.
So for me, hope lies in giving young people a practical stake in shaping their environment and their future. When they feel their voices matter locally, it builds confidence that change is possible nationally and globally too.
How can today’s leaders show responsibility to future generations?
They could start by acknowledging that responsibility exists. Not long ago, everyone talked about sustainable development: creating the wealth we need without destroying the prospects of future generations. At the heart of that idea is intergenerational justice.
Yet that concept has virtually disappeared from politics today. Leaders need to rediscover it – and act on it. Sustainable development is not just a slogan; it is a responsibility to ensure today’s decisions don’t rob tomorrow’s citizens of their opportunities.
How do we create dialogue that builds consensus rather than division
Sometimes you can’t. There are people who simply don’t want to hear what the science is saying. They don’t believe climate change is relevant to them. That makes dialogue incredibly hard.
But you have to work at it. I’ve been trying for 50 years, and I still haven’t mastered the art. The key is persistence: keep practising, keep inviting people into the conversation, and keep looking for the common ground – even when it feels elusive. Dialogue is not a luxury; it’s the only way forward.
About Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt CBE is a writer, campaigner, and co-founder of Forum for the Future. He has led Friends of the Earth, co-chaired the Green Party, and advised governments and global businesses on sustainability. His latest book, Love, Anger & Betrayal, written with 26 jailed Just Stop Oil activists, confronts the urgent moral questions of the climate crisis.
The views expressed in this interview are Jonathon’s, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cumberland Lodge.