Get ready for a big moment in European politics! From June 6-9, citizens across the European Union will cast their votes in the upcoming European Parliamentary elections. These elections decide Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and indirectly select the President of the European Commission.
The elected representatives will serve from 2024 to 2029, a crucial time as the EU aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement. Globally, 2030 marks a monumental deadline for eradicating poverty, safeguarding the planet, and ensuring universal prosperity, as outlined in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
As we approach this significant election, the question looms: Are we on track to meet these ambitious targets?
Read more below on ONE’s election campaign and how we’re working to ensure the EU stays on the money in achieving global goals.
Global challenges need global solutions
A recent survey shows that 75% of citizens believe it’s important for the EU to invest in partner countries, with 74% prioritizing it. People understand that global problems like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and debt crises affect everyone. Vulnerable countries, like those in Africa, feel the impact most, despite contributing less to the issues. For instance, Africa produces only 4% of global carbon emissions, but remains the most vulnerable continent to climate change.
The next five years are crucial for tackling our generation’s biggest challenges: climate change, health crises, and sustainable development.
Delivering on climate promises, strengthening global health security, and building a sustainable future for everyone, everywhere, are challenges that neither the EU nor its Member States can solve alone.
ONE’s vision for the next EU mandate
A fair and dignified future for the current and next generations. A world where people aren’t dying from preventable diseases like HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis or malaria, and climate solutions are a priority. What if we told you that the key to making this vision a reality started with Africa?
With the world’s youngest population and over half of the globe’s solar potential, partnering with Africa is crucial for transitioning to sustainable energy systems. Additionally, the continent’s strides in health innovation, coupled with ambitious goals such as producing the majority of its vaccines domestically by 2040, underscore its pivotal role in shaping a healthier future.
To shape global solutions to global challenges the EU must work in partnership with Africa, to deliver a healthy, liveable future for both people and planet. By supporting Africa’s development efforts and facilitating the transition to clean energy, the EU can contribute to achieving not only its own environmental objectives but also the broader agenda of sustainable development outlined in the SDGs.
The ONE Vote EU Campaign
Together with ONE Youth Ambassadors, young volunteers across Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands are calling on the next generation of EU decision-makers to commit to working with Africa for a future in which where you live does not determine whether you live. We are asking candidates to back our vision for the future by signing the ONE Vote EU pledge that reads:
“I will stand for a Europe that drives global actions, working with Africa for a future in which where you live does not determine whether you live.
I commit to championing funding to end preventable diseases, fight the climate crisis, and deliver a fair and dignified future for everyone, everywhere.”
ONE Youth Ambassadors: The faces behind the campaign
“I lived the first 12 years of my life in the heart of West Africa, Accra, Ghana. I still vividly remember how difficult it was for my family to make ends meet due to economic hardship.
However, today when I speak to family and friends back home, they tell me how much worse the standard of living has become. Additionally, they alert me to how extremely hot their environment is at the moment, due to rising temperatures as a result of climate change.
This feels unfair knowing that there are more than enough resources and capital in the world to fight these global challenges and inequalities. What’s missing is the political will to make the right decisions.
That’s why we’re urging candidates to deliver the necessary policy-change and resources to enable the EU to tackle the greatest global challenges of our generation together, with Africa.
So far, we have already gotten 19 signatures from candidates. They are leading by example and showing us that they are not afraid to push for an EU that is committed to global justice. I’m hoping many more make that decision in the next few weeks.” – Caleb Adade, ONE Youth Ambassador in Belgium
Want to keep receiving updates on the campaign? Keep an eye on our latest news page.
