Last night I asked the five candidates vying to be our next prime minister whether they would commit to taking the radical and drastic action necessary to tackle climate change. You may have realised from my reaction to the answers they gave that I was not impressed.

As I listened to them fail to answer my question, I kept thinking, “one of these men is going to be our prime minister, the leader of this country in just a few weeks”. And I reflected on what I have been taught about leadership.

They should listen to the youngest in our society who are channelling the energy many have into something tangible

Aren’t real leaders meant to make decisions to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities? Aren’t real leaders supposed to be brave and courageous? Aren’t real leaders ultimately supposed tell us the truth?

But instead we hear them say time and time again that climate change is “important” to them, that they will make it “central to their programme” if they are in government. At the same time they continue talking about their intentions to expand airports, cut support for renewable technology and set targets that are way too far away to make a meaningful difference.

What they fail to realise, as I pointed out on the debate programme, is that climate change is not an issue for tomorrow, it’s an issue of today. Today, there are people all over the world who are already suffering from the devastating consequences of our inaction: droughts, heatwaves, cyclones and wildfires. Today, we’re seeing how countries are treating immigrants and those seeking asylum with intolerance and hatred. Today, we’re seeing the loss of thousands of species of plants and animals, yet those in positions of power continue to absolve their responsibilities.

Over the past few months, the YouthStrike4Climate movement has drastically shifted the narrative around the climate crisis, and we’re not going to stop striking until they all commit to taking the necessary action. The UK Student Climate Network has been very clear; declaring a climate emergency is just the first step. We want to totally decarbonise the economy of the UK through a government-led, 10-year mobilisation for a just and prosperous transition which must include the infrastructure needed to benefit all communities and workers.

We want to see millions of new well-paid, meaningful and secure jobs created across the UK, in communities like mine, in Glasgow, where we vitally need them. We want a Green New Deal that can protect vital natural habitats. My message is clear, this isn’t a problem for the future, it’s one for today. We need commitments now, otherwise we will continue to hurt countries across the world that are already suffering the worst consequences of climate breakdown.

Last night demonstrated that none of the candidates on offer have a clear plan for how to address the climate crisis. Away from the headlines and jibes on social media, this is the opportunity for any one of them to step up and distinguish themselves as a climate leader. I would suggest they listen to the youngest in our society who are not only leading the way but channelling the energy many have for climate action into something tangible. We have the technology and we have the resources, we now need the right leader and some political will.

With the UK looking likely to be the host of the next UN climate change conference (COP26) in 2020, it’s the perfect platform. Which of the five candidates to be our next prime minister will lead the UK into those climate negotiations? And which of them has the courage to do the right thing? It’s no understatement to suggest this could literally be our last chance.

So, to whoever our next prime minister is, I won’t be impressed until I see more than just words.

• Erin Curtis is a youth striker from Glasgow and part of the UK Student Climate Network

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