International Youth Climate Conference (COY14)
While until 14 December, the big ones had to face each other at COP 24, from 29 November to 1 December there was the International Youth Conference on Climate (COY14) where young people from all over the world met. The COY is not made up of random people, but of young activists, conscious, ready and determined to act daily to improve the situation. Organized by the organization YOUNGO, youth representation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In Katowice a three days of meetings, debates, workshops all focused on climate change and where they worked in view of COP24 to draft the document “YOUNGO Collective Policy Positions” in which they are treated from mitigation and adaptation to climate change to finance and the market, from health to renewable energy.
«It is time for us to take unprecedented action. Climate change is no negable, but there is too much slowness to grasp its immense scale. As young people, we are free from the pursuit of immediate profits, we are the real long-term prospect for our future and for future generations. This perspective is what we can bring to the table in order to influence our common future. But it is our problem to depend on your political actions that will determine the solutions, policies and technologies that will be implemented. We think it is essential to think beyond the classic paradigm of growth, where consumption is constantly increasing. We must look for innovative solutions on how to achieve wealth without growth. In fact, if we do not voluntarily change our consumption patterns, the Earth System will do so for us, and it will have serious and uncontrollable consequences that will change the world as we know it».
School Strike 4 Climate Action
Since November 30, thousands of young people in Australia have taken to the streets to protest against government policy and call for measures to combat climate change, also inspired by the protest of Greta Thunberg last August.
Read more: Generation Z resilient to climate change, stop the American dream!
The ONU, in its Report on the 2018 emissions gap had recently indicated Australia as one of the countries, along with Europe and the United States, that will not be able to meet the agreed commitments to reduce greenhouse gases by 2030. In the student’s crosshairs is there also at the new coal mine that the Indian giant Adani intends to build.
The protests continued and continue, in preparation also a big event on March 17, 2019, on the website schoolstrike4climate.com all the indications to participate and organize their own school strike for the climate.
Jean Hinchliffe, 14, who spoke at the Sydney march, said: «Youth people will not stand by and let Adani dig his mine, or let politicians get away with a project that will destroy our future… In Australia we are working on major projects for the school holidays and 2019. We will continue to push our governments to act on the greatest threat to all of us: climate change.»
Youth at COP24
Greta Thunberg is also a protagonist at COP24 in her speech in the presence of the UN Secretary General António Guterres and the UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change Patricia Espinosa said: «We have not come here to ask world leaders to take care of our future… They have ignored us in the past and will ignore us again. We came here to let them know that change is coming, whether they like it or not. People will rise to the challenge».
She is not alone, 8 December was the day dedicated to the young and future generations at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP24) in Katowice, Poland. The young delegates at Cop24 spoke of truth and passion, urgency and action.
«Now is the time for young people to speak and we have the right to do so», said youth delegate Teresa Bajdol, a student at the University of Silesia in Katowice. Several dozen youth delegates from around the world are attending the climate conference, making recommendations, soliciting delegates, monitoring progress, organizing and participating in side events and building networks. Some young people directly support country delegations in the negotiations.
Strong civil society action «is the only way we can solve this huge climate challenge we face”, said young Danish delegate Monika Skadborg.
And again, «As young people, we have a unique interest in global dialogue on climate», said UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake. «We are the ones who will live with the results of this process».
Phillip Brown from Jamaica and the United States, among the eight youth delegates present to tell stories on “stepping up climate action” said «We see progress, but we don’t really see the action we need».
Maria Auma from Uganda sentences «We must fight and be the adults responsible that our ancestors were not able to be».
Maybe it’s time for the adult world to take their heads off the sand!
