Youth Participation in Climate Action
The future has always belonged to the younger generations, hence whatever state or condition that future turns out to be is solely the responsibility of the people that live in it, today’s youth.
So far, the levity world leaders and responsible offices have exuded in the face of this existential crisis is not only unfair but a projection of what truly matters to them, and it has been clear that it’s not a climate-resilient future. However, this is not to undermine the efforts of the few good apples in some of those offices, but the negligence and level of flippancy shown by some persons in those responsible offices have cost a lot and it still is.
Being part of the wider group of concerned youth, I have made it a voluntary must to participate and join my efforts with the millions of others in the world to champion climate action and push for environmental sustainability however possible. Thus, what this post seeks to discuss very concisely is Youths Participation in Climate Action with special attention to the recently concluded Mock COP26.
Mock COP26 Contribution to Climate Action
In the light of the postponement of the COP26 youth around the world rallied together to kick-start what is now known as Mock COP26 virtual climate conference, in which I took part in. The virtual conference understood the gap/vulnerabilities most global south countries faced in regards to the impacts and adaptation of climate change and did well to represent those vulnerabilities by way of amplifying their voices by allocating them 1.5 voting counts in caucus sessions and allowing 5 delegates for representation, which was different from their northern counterpart.
I was able to speak to two of the African Mock COP26 Volunteers Kelo Uchendu (Nigeria) who managed the fringe events at the virtual conference, and partnership, and Kelvin Mtai (Kenya) who managed the conference’s Twitter operations, and also speakers outreach. He too worked with Kelo in Partnership for the conference, where they were able to secure beneficial partnerships that supported the conference. Together with the team (organizers and volunteers) delegates from about 140 countries were able to draft a Mock COP26 treaty that hoped to be implemented or adopted at COP26 later this year.
The success of the youth-led Mock COP26 conference was an inspiration to many especially the volunteers who watched and experienced the team grow, and it showed the world that nothing was impossible to achieve for youths who are connected by a cause.
African Youths in Climate Action
Among other youths I talked with was Paul Lodry Dongmo, 25, from Cameroon who is a geophysicist and the current Environmental Department Director for an African Network, his organization based in Cameroon, Alliance des Etudiants Camerounais pour la Justice Environmentale, has been involved in several environmental activities like reforestation, training on proper waste management, environmental sensitization, planting over 1000 trees, and contributing to the promotion of renewable energies in Cameroon. Paul was also a country director for a sub-regional youth climate network for 4 years, where he helped facilitate local education on adaptation strategies and appropriation of the National Adaptation Plan and the Nationally Determined Contributions in Cameroon. He’s currently involved in other climate action in various ways and is one champion we should get to know.
I also spoke to a vibrant young lady, Sthandiwe Biyela, 23, who is a self-motivated climate change activist from South Africa, and the current Chairperson for Green Campus Initiative, a non-profit and non-political organization. She also volunteered at the Mock COP26 virtual climate event where she took inspiration from there to start her journey in her Textile Waste Project which addresses textile industry waste and tries to ensure that their processes are carried out as sustainably as possible. Shthandiwe is an exemplary young female that has grown to understand the importance the environment holds and she has devoted her time to ensuring that the ecological integrity of the earth won’t be lost.
Kelvin Mtai, the aforementioned African organizer at the Mock COP26 event also told me about his journey into climate action. He is the African coordinator for Earth Uprising, an organization of young people who have made war with environmental degradation of any kind. Kelvin also co-founded his organization, Kenyan Environmental Action Network (KEAN), which engages in a lot of environmental activities, from hosting campaigns to discussing and educating the public on NDCs. He’s also part of a project called Climate Live that uses music to spread awareness of climate change.
These notable names, Kelo, Kelvin, Sthandiwe, and Paul, are among the millions of youths in the world who have taken it upon themselves to not sit by and watch human-induced climate change wreck our prospects for a climate-resilient future. If leaders in responsible offices are unbothered or perhaps scared to take on the daunting challenge of climate action, this post represents young people who are ready to get their hands dirty to achieve a climate-resilient future.