What fundamental economic and political change, if any, is needed for an effective response to climate change?

THE ECONOMIST’s Open Future initiative was begun last year to make the case for political, economic and social freedoms at a time when these values are under assault. We want this exploration of ideas to involve our critics as well as our supporters.

As part of the initiative we are holding an essay contest. It is open to people between 16 and 25 years old. Essays should be no longer than 1,000 words. The deadline for submissions is July 31st 2019. Please read the formal terms of the competition.

The essay question is:

What fundamental economic and political change, if any, is needed for an effective response to climate change?

Description: For decades the world has been aware that human activity is heating up the planet to dangerous levels, with potentially calamitous consequences. Despite efforts by government, business and individuals to curtail the trend, carbon emissions are still rising. Perhaps new thinking is needed, since previous attempts to deal with the problem have failed. So what might be done?

The winning essay will be published on The Economist's Open Future website and the winner will be invited to attend one of the three Open Future Festival events, to be held in Hong Kong, Manchester and Chicago on Saturday October 5th 2019. The Economist will pay for travel and accommodation; if the winner is under 18, we will pay for a guardian to accompany the winner as well. The names of the 20 long-listed finalists will be published online; each will receive a one-year digital subscription to The Economist.

Also, the winner will be invited to attend the UN Youth Climate Summit on September 21st 2019 in New York, with travel and accommodation provided by the office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth.

Essays should answer the question by taking a stance and making a case based on arguments and facts. We will select the best essays based on the quality of their arguments, not the extent to which they align with our views. Though good writing is important, judges will make allowances for those for whom English is not their first language.

Essayists should email their submissions by July 31st 2019, with the subject “Open Future essay contest” to: OpenFuture@Economist.com. Please send only one, final submission, and place the text in the body of the email: we cannot accept attachments. Please indicate your age and country.

Again, please do read the terms of the competition. We are a global organisation and we operate a strict privacy policy around the world. How we will use your personal data is spelled out in the terms of the competition, and how we handle personal data more generally is in our privacy policy.

By entering the competition, you agree to the terms of the competition, and you agree to us processing and using your personal data for the purposes described in the terms—including to administer the contest, to attribute winning entries and runners-up publicly and for promotional purposes. We will not use your details to market other services to you unless you specifically give us permission to do so.

We encourage you to read last year’s winning essays here.

Good luck!