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At Friday’s COP28 in Dubai, young climate activists said they would not do nothing while the future is jeopardized by climate change. They pleaded with lawmakers to prioritize the needs of the world’s approximately 2 billion children, claiming that their opinions and voices can save the earth.
Today, the attention was on young people and children, even though the most talked-about topics of the current United Nations climate conference, COP28, which is set to conclude next Tuesday, are discussions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the long-term viability of fossil fuels.
The United Nations published a series of alarming assessments in the weeks leading up to the summit, all of which confirmed that Earth is on the brink of disaster. According to the most recent report from the United Nations Meteorological Organization (WMO), greenhouse gases have “turbo-charged a dramatic acceleration in ice melt and sea level rise.”
There is the biggest youth generation in history, consisting of 1.8 billion individuals worldwide ranging in age from 10 to 24. They seized the spotlight today in Expo City Dubai’s Al-Waha theater, demonstrating their growing awareness of the climate catastrophe and their willingness to speak out against it.
Struggle for transformation
The global youth statement, a policy paper crafted with contributions from more than 150 nations and produced with more than 750,000 opinions, was presented to delegates at COP28 by Ameila Turk of YOUNGO, an international network of young activists and children.
In her words, it was an aspect of the climate movement.
“Although we may not be able to convince everyone to attend a COP in and of itself, the global statement serves as a great illustration of our ability to convey… our genuine concerns and the purpose of our gathering.”
Almost everyone in the sold-out auditorium raised their hands when YOUNGO’s Dr. Mashkur Isa called for those under the age of 35.
He lamented the fact that, unlike other UN climate conferences, COP28 mostly lacked participation from young people in its day-to-day operations.
Our young and children are conspicuously lacking from climate-related conversations, pledges, and policies, despite our repeated demands for bold climate action. He demanded that all parties involved prioritize young voices in climate change decision-making and act swiftly to safeguard our interests.
Struggle for the Emancipation of Climate
According to YOUNGO member and young climate discussion moderator Bhumi Sharma, it is critical to guarantee funding for the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) agenda.
Aiming to educate and raise public awareness, provide training, encourage public engagement, provide public access to information, and foster international collaboration, ACE mirrors one of the goals of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and seeks to empower all parts of society to take action against climate change.
There has been a persistent lack of funding, and wealthy nations refuse to acknowledge the problem, she said.
While she acknowledged that “we cannot force anyone to care about something they don’t” when she spoke to UN News, she expressed her hope that people will take the climate catastrophe seriously and act on their own accord.
“Education is the key to solving the climate crisis.”
Over the course of six years, 43.1 million children in 44 countries were internally displaced due to weather-related catastrophes, or almost 20,000 children every day, according to data published earlier this year by UNICEF.
Friday morning, UN News had an interview with Yasmine Sherif, head of the United Nations worldwide fund for education in crises (Education Cannot Wait), which has just made a $150 million appeal to increase response efforts to the climate catastrophe.
As she put it, “Climate change has proven to be one of the largest causes for displacement after conflict.” She went on to say that relocation has an impact on children’s and youth’s education, and ultimately their future prospects.
New data from the Education Cannot Wait study demonstrates that 62 million students have had their schooling interrupted because of climate change.
Climate change and its effects on essential services should not be considered in isolation. The two goals are not separate,” Ms. Sherif said. “Education is the key to solving the climate crisis.”
Additional money
As part of its climate action plan, Education Cannot Wait is advocating for more progress and making education the focal point at COP28.
According to Ms. Sherif, “all the billions we are investing is a lost money” if education is not prioritized.
According to her, even a little investment in education may have a significant impact on the continuation of Earth-saving efforts by inspiring the next generation to pursue further education and eventually become engineers, scientists, and educators.
Tell me there are resources; I don’t need to hear that. Instead of spending 5% on the military, we might use that money on education and the climate catastrophe. To combat global warming, we would have an annual budget of $100 billion. The point is, she said, that you should begin rearranging your priorities.
The World Food Programme’s Carmen Burbano noted that it was “about time” for a UN climate conference to devote a topic to the connection between education, youth, and climate action.
On the fringes of an event centered on reinventing school meals for the health of the world and children, M. Burbano, Director of WFP’s School Feeding Unit, talked to UN News.
According to her, as the “largest social assistance programme in the world,” her organization is influencing the diets of one-third of the world’s population in several nations, which has a direct bearing on global climate change targets.
She stressed that schools may play a role in halting deforestation and influencing surrounding communities to utilize more renewable energy by cooking these meals with cleaner alternatives.
Ms. Burbano expressed her hope that future climate conferences will continue to highlight the importance of education, food systems, and climate action as parts of comprehensive solutions.
