Youth have always been drivers of social change, and at this critical moment for climate ambition, it’s more urgent than ever to ensure that the voices of young people are not only listened to but acted upon. While COP26 has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis, now is the chance for youth climate leaders to build momentum and make sure that when they arrive in Milan next year for the Youth4Climate Pre-COP26 summit, they come ready with tangible ideas and proposals to present to world leaders.

 

REGISTER FOR THE #YOUTH4CLIMATELIVE LAUNCH: https://bit.ly/youth4climate-live-series

 

As longtime believers in the power of young people, we are thrilled to be involved in the production of the all-new #Youth4ClimateLive Series, hosted by the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITE) in collaboration with Connect4Climate and the Office of Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth to drive engagement in the run-up to the 2021 pre-COP26 in Milan, Italy and COP26. Launching this June 26, the series will continue through 2021, offering nearly a year’s worth of content for you to tune in to!

 

The bus swayed back and forth, traveling down a narrow dirt road with so many potholes that it looked like a WWI battlefield. There was green everywhere, but not from the tall Amazonian trees that you would expect to see here in the heart of Brazil. Instead, huge soy fields lined both sides of the road for a good part of the 9-hour trip. It was hard not to take notice.

Our air conditioning was broken and dust blew in from the open windows as we sped towards the Xingu River, trying to get there before the rain. It was futile. Soon enough, rain was pounding on the old dirt road, turning the golden orange dust into a dark brown mud. At this point, the huge probability of getting stuck in a pothole meant that the driver couldn’t slow down. So, we pressed on.

Why were forty people shaking around in the back of an old bus in the middle of the Brazilian Amazon? Because we had all been invited to a meeting called by one the world’s most important indigenous leaders: Chief Raoni.

Chief Raoni in ceremonial war paint. (Photo by Rafael Forsetto)

Raoni Metuktire is a 90-year-old indigenous chief of the Mebengokre (Kayapó) people living in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. He rose to international fame in the ’80s and ’90s for his struggle to protect the Amazon and its indigenous population—his face and emblematic lip plate were all over the media of the time. Since then, he has led a quieter life back in his village, deep in the Brazilian Amazon.

Over the past year, however, Raoni has grown more vocal about the suffering of Brazil’s indigenous population and environmental destruction in the rainforest. He has gained momentum once again and is drawing everyone’s attention to an Amazon plagued by wildfires, logging and mining. His efforts have resulted in a nomination for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. If successful, Raoni, an indigenous man, will become Brazil’s first Nobel Laureate.

Rampant deforestation has put Brazil’s native population in a critical position. In response, Raoni issued a call this January urging indigenous leaders and supporters to meet at Piaraçu village, on the shores of the Xingu River, to debate and prepare a plan of action to present at Brazil’s National Congress.  I was one of the few press observers invited to attend—a 9-hour ride on the rickety bus was a small price to pay to witness this event.

A ferry carried us across the Xingu River. (Photo by Rafael Forsetto)

We finally arrived at the river at about 4 PM. As the ferry floated over to carry our bus across, I noticed boats docking on the other side of the shore. Over 600 indigenous leaders from 47 different tribes had traveled for many hours to be here for the event. You can’t ignore a summons from the legendary chief. As a member of the Fulni-ô tribe told me: “when Raoni calls, it’s important.”

This was my first time in an indigenous village and, of course, I was mesmerized. I wanted to see the sights, talk to the locals and learn about their culture. However, it soon became clear that this was no ordinary day at the village. Never before had this many indigenous leaders gathered in the same place. We were witnessing a historic moment in the fight for the Amazon.

The event started the next day. I made my way to the House of Men, a large structure of wood and hay specially constructed for the debates of the next four days. There, sitting cross-legged on a wicker chair (the seat of honor), was Raoni. A 90-year-old man who could easily be in his 60s. Even when sitting down, he was imposing. Sharp eyes, long white hair, perfect posture. War paint decorated his body. He sat smoking a tobacco pipe, waiting for the crowd to settle in and quiet down. Once everyone was there, he spoke.

 “We’re not meeting here to plan a war or conflict,” the chief said. “We are here to defend our people, our cause, and our land”. Raoni spoke in his native language with a Portuguese interpreter at his side. I wished I could understand Mebengokre, because there’s always something that gets lost in translation. Even so, I was transfixed. This man has met with some of the most powerful people in the world, and there he was, a couple of feet away from me, speaking to us just as he spoke to them. It seemed as if it didn’t matter whether he was at the Élysée Palace or at a local school—his message remained the same.

A Mebengokre mother paints the face of her daughter. (Photo by Rafael Forsetto)

The meeting lasted for four days overall, likening itself to official state negotiations. In democratic fashion, all participants who had something to say were free to step up and make their voices heard. The indigenous peoples exercised mutual respect throughout the meeting, guaranteeing that all groups had a chance to speak. But it was the women and youth who really captivated me.

Most of the indigenous tribes represented at this event have patriarchal structures, with a male chief leading the group. However, this didn’t deter the women present from sharing their own thoughts—not even slightly. Outspoken and unrelenting in their statements, they made it clear that their mission was the same as everyone else’s: to save the Amazon and its peoples from aggressive development policies. When these women spoke, people rushed over to the stage and huddled together to hear their passionate speeches on women’s roles in environmental protection. I’d be hard-pressed to name a more inspiring moment than the women’s roundtable, which featured indigenous women of all ages sharing their stories and demands for a better tomorrow.

Youth participation was also through the roof. Young people all over the world have been bringing new views to the climate movement, and Brazil’s indigenous youth are no different. Organized and highly motivated to make a difference, they demanded a seat at the table to make their voices heard. I was most impressed with their ability to communicate, not just verbally, but through digital and social media as well.

Many of them are part of indigenous news organizations or film collectives that seek to share and reinforce their cultures. What really drew my attention, however, was how they’re also already passing on their knowhow and teaching indigenous children and teens how to work media equipment and tell their own stories. You can check out some of these youth leaders’ work on Instagram at @midiaindiaoficial and @coletivobeture.

Tribal representatives read the Piraçu Manifesto aloud for the assembled crowd. (Photo by Rafael Forsetto)

As the debates went on, lawyers and volunteers compiled the indigenous demands in a four-page document dubbed the Piaraçu Manifesto. The Manifesto demanded respect, protection and the recognition of Chief Raoni as a spokesperson for the Brazilian indigenous. “We do not accept gold digging, mining, agribusiness and leasing of our lands, we do not accept loggers, illegal fishermen, hydroelectric plants and other projects […] that will impact us in a direct and irreversible way,” the document states.

The Piaraçu meeting is now over, but I am honored to have seen it all happen firsthand. I noticed that the indigenous peoples are some of the most engaged participants in the fight to end the climate emergency. By fighting for their home in the Amazon, they’re fighting for all of our homes. They are on the frontlines, suffering very real casualties, and it’s essential that we stand with them. Let’s incorporate the indigenous cause into our climate strikes and raise awareness about their plight. You can help by posting with #raoninobeldapaz2020 #raoninobel #savetheamazon. Chief Raoni’s fight is the same as all of ours—a fight for a better future.

Banner and thumbnail images courtesy of Rafael Forsetto.

Connect4Climate was honored to oversee a #YouthTakeover at COP25 featuring the four rising climate communicators who won this year's Global Youth Video Competition! All four of these winners—Callie Broaddus, Raquel Gaião Silva, Rafael Forsetto and Kiane Assis—share memories from the conference, and what the experience meant to them, in their own words in the reflections below:

CALLIE BROADDUS

It took ten minutes to walk from one end of Madrid’s IFEMA conference center to the other—that is, if we didn’t stop to snag the handout of tree-planting chocolate, sing a carol with “Sustaina-Claus,” read the signs at the daily youth protests, or listen to the 20 indigenous people demonstrating in the entrance hall. It was a massive event, and for first-time COP-goers, a tad overwhelming.

 

This year’s Global Youth Video Competition had four winners, so Connect4Climate’s #YouthTakeover was a group effort. We connected each morning over WhatsApp to determine who would cover and attend which events (the size of the conference center often made it inconvenient to meet in person). The joint effort meant that we could each cover events specifically related to our own fields of work. For me, this meant attending events on nature-based solutions and biodiversity; for Rafael and Kiane, events on social justice and migration; and for Raquel, all things ocean.

 

The panels I attended repeatedly stressed several key points: We need to protect our tropical and temperate forests; prevent exploitation of our peatlands, wetlands, and marine kelp forests; and plant trees in bulk if we’re to make sizable strides toward climate commitments. Given that we are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis—one often called the sixth mass extinction—I expected discussions on the balance between climate and ecosystems to be more prominent on panels, and less audience-generated.

 

One common thread that wove each panel together was a vocabulary of UN-centric terms and acronyms: CBD, UNFCCC, UNCCD, NDCs, SDGs and more.The ability to decipher this mass of letters proved essential to comprehending every panel—and even most coffee-line conversations.

 

Having the opportunity to attend and document COP from a “youth climate reporter” point of view was incredibly valuable for my personal understanding of conservation on an international scale. Having an energized and diverse team enabled each of us to both cover the event comprehensively and leave with strong personal takeaways. For my part, I’ll be making an acronym dictionary and lining up my biodiversity-related audience questions before attempting to navigate COP26.

 

RAQUEL GAIÃO SILVA

 

I am back home and I still can’t believe what happened during my time at COP25. Two weeks listening to alarming information and talking about nature-based solutions. Two weeks witnessing testimonials of populations already being impacted by climate change. Two weeks listening to scientific reports that demand action starting yesterday. Two weeks nourishing the desire for greater ambition. Two weeks that felt like months.

 

Over those two weeks, I experienced myriad situations I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams, from meeting Sylvia Earle in the corridor and telling her my thoughts on ocean-based climate solutions to interviewing and discussing climate finance with the Managing Director of the World Bank to speaking with the Administrator of the UNDP, who so avidly listened to our stories with full attention.

 

It was an intense and inspiring ride. And the most amazing part is that even if I didn’t meet such interesting people, the simple fact of having UNFCCC and the Connect4Climate team there to answer the million questions I had with kind smiles was all I could ask for.

 

These two weeks will stay on my mind for a long time to come, and will definitely influence my next projects, my next actions, and my next steps.

 

On December 2-5, Naples, Italy will host the “COP of the Mediterranean,” an international climate event focused on safeguarding the environmental richness of the Mediterrean Sea. This conference of the parties to the Barcelona Convention will bring together climate leaders from across the region for a much-needed discussion of how best to preserve the Sea’s bountiful resources and diverse wildlife.

 

Italy’s Minister of the Environment, Land and Sea Sergio Costa has noted that “in addition to being the sea with the most consistent trade in the world,” the Mediterranean “is also a hotbed of important biodiversity.” Costa especially looks forward to engaging the youth of Naples—a city that has for centuries thrived on the Sea’s banks—with events tied to the conference. A firm believer in the power of youth to make a difference, Costa refers to them as “the educators of the adults.”

 

Connect4Climate is proud to be attending the conference and supporting the outreach around it through several key events including a beach cleanup workshop and showcases of environmental music and art. Our team can’t wait to connect with climate-conscious youth and get them involved in the push for a sustainable future!

 

For a full rundown of the exciting activities we’ve got planned, check out the program below. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation online with the hashtags #COP21Napoli, #BarcelonaConvention, #SaveTheMediterranean, #WeAreAction, and #IoSonoAmbiente!

 

Images courtesy of the COP21-Naples offical website.

C4C Events Program

Monday 2 December, 9.00 am-1.00 pm

Morning beach cleanup workshop and restoration of the coastal area of San Giovanni a Teduccio in collaboration with local NGO ‘Let's Do It! Italy.’ 

About 150 students from local schools will be trained in advance and will work together to clean the beach. This activity will be accompanied by the installation of new benches and by the repair of beachside showers. 

The restoration of the area will include the creative recycling of beach trash into musical instruments. Led by Maurizio Capone of the eco-minded band Capone & BungtBangt, youngsters will learn to fashion instruments from the rubbish and make music with them, transforming something ugly into something beautiful.

Tuesday 3 December, 7.00 pm-11.00 pm

Music for the sea: An eventful evening of music and climate positivity.

Subsonica singer-songwriter and Italian X Factor judge Samuel Umberto Romano, known for his commitment to protecting the natural world, will join forces with the artists of Napoli Segreta to DJ a night of music that will empower fans to take meaningful climate action. Topical videos will be screened throughout the event, including the premiere of the footage captured at the beach cleanup in San Giovanni a Teduccio as well as video profiles of Neapolitan youth activists and a selection of other content on the importance of safeguarding the Mediterranean.

Throughout the event, participants will be able to create personalized t-shirts with screen-printed images inspired by the theme of the sea. Equipped with a mobile printing unit, a small booth will be set up for the sustainable printing of the shirts. Guests will have the opportunity to choose a color scheme and one of two available graphics for their organic cotton shirts and print them in real time with the guidance of onsite staff. 

Wednesday 4 December, 5.30 pm-7.30 pm

Climate engagement through theatre: In Naples’s eastern suburbs, an abandoned space became a theater for the community: the NEST. On the evening of December 4th, the NEST’s stage will be animated by a performance of “Fuoco Fatuo”—a story filled with music, dance and magic and rich with environmental symbolism— followed by a theatrical monologue from actor Adriano Papaleo.

Photographs by SubScatti will be presented by Fondali Campania in an installation outside the theater, and throughout the event, young talents from the Metropolitan Poetry Association will recite topical poems for the public.

[video:https://youtu.be/UypAIZqj5G8]

Banner image courtesy of Pixabay.

Every year, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convene to weigh global progress on climate action and set new goals based on what remains to be done. At this year’s conference of the parties, COP25, ramping up ambition will be more important than ever before, as the climate crisis is deepening and projections for the state of the planet in 2100 absent significant worldwide behavior change are dire.

 

Taking place in Madrid from December 2-13 under Chile’s Presidency, COP25 will focus on hammering out the last remaining issues surrounding the implementation of the foundational 2015 Paris Agreement and getting the countries of the world back on track to keep net global warming well below 2°C vis-à-vis pre industrial times (the latest UN report warns that a business-as-usual scenario could at this point result in a catastrophic 3.2°C of warming).

 

Connect4Climate will be in attendance at the COP, supporting events at the Italian Pavilion and amplifying the messages of the conference for a global audience through live-streaming and social media. C4C is especially excited about COP25’s emphasis on youth leadership, which has proven invaluable for raising climate awareness and promoting action all over the world.

 

Want to get involved in COP25 yourself? Here are five tips and tricks on how to stay informed and contribute to the conversation:

 

1. Tune in to the “Live from COP25” Digital Media Zone

 

We at C4C are hosting a special series of live sessions at the Italian Pavilion in which members of our team will conduct exclusive daily interviews with a wide array of climate leaders offering perspectives ranging from economic and political to social and activist.

 

The Zone will be in session from 2:00-3:00 pm Madrid time every day of the conference, and all interviews will be broadcast live on our Facebook page as well as the Italian Ministry of the Environment’s. Follow along live and share your thoughts on all the innovative strategies up for discussion!

 

 

Image courtesy of Kaia Rose, Connect4Climate.

 

2. Participate virtually in our side events

 

In addition to the Digital Media Zone, Connect4Climate is putting on its own exciting side events at the COP, including a session on agricultural innovations in Africa and the sweeping Great Green Wall initiative as well as one on strategies for working alongside youth leadership to expand climate education worldwide.

 

Be sure to follow our coverage of the COP on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to stay abreast of these events and draw inspiration to take climate action yourself! Feel free to contribute your own thoughts on the issues using the hashtags #COP25, #WeAreAction and #TimeForAction.

 

 

Image courtesy of Leigh Vogel, Connect4Climate.

 

3. Check out the UNFCCC website

 

If you’d like to learn more about the COP in general and its role in global climate dialogue, look no further than the UNFCCC’s official website, which offers an overview of the conference, a schedule of events, an aggregation of relevant climate news stories, and more.  You can also tune into the Action Hub webcast for a full program of exciting interactive presentations.

 

 

Image courtesy of the UNFCCC.

 

4. Bone up on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

 

You’ve probably heard of the Paris Agreement on climate change, but do you know Article 6? In Katowice at last year’s COP, the parties adopted the “Paris Rulebook” but key guidance on how to implement Article 6 was not included so It’s a section of the Agreement that the parties to the UNFCCC attempted unsuccessfully to pin down at last year’s COP, and you can bet that it will be a centerpiece in Madrid this time around.

Article 6 aims to establish a system of voluntary international cooperation to make both implementing and verifying country-specific climate action plans easier. It could also pave the way for more robust climate education programs worldwide and a global standard on carbon pricing, which has the potential to cut industrial emissions significantly over the next several years. Negotiations are delicate, though, and reaching an agreement will be far from simple.

Study up on Article 6 and its significance on sites such as that of the International Chamber of Commerce  and the Environmental Defense Fund or check out this video from the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.

 

Image courtesy of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.

 

5. Follow #Youth4Climate leaders on social media

 

Last but not least, be sure to show your support for the global #Youth4Climate activist movement and keep an eye on youth leaders’ responses to the event of COP25 for a fresh viewpoint.

 

#SchoolStrike4Climate pioneer Greta Thunberg, who is making her way to the conference by boat, has a major presence on both Twitter and Instagram. Consider also following UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake, New York-based activist Alexandria Villaseñor, and Kenyan climate advocate Leah Namugerwa.

 

For additional ideas on youth leaders to look out for, check out this handy who’s who compiled by the BBC!

 

 

Image courtesy of Kaia Rose, Connect4Climate.

 

Article banner courtesy of Pixabay.

In the biggest climate protest in history, an estimated 4 million people in over 150 countries and all 50 US states marched against climate change on September 20.

The September 2019 climate strikes saw students worldwide walk out of school to demand that governments take immediate action to solve climate change. 

The protests were inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who’s currently at the forefront of the global youth climate movement.

“I think climate activists like Greta Thunberg are just so incredible and so inspiring because [of] what she's doing and the incredibly radical way that she's doing it,” sophomore ​Camila Jongsma ​said.

While students around the world are marching for government action, others at PVHS are making an effort to reduce their environmental impact. 

“I have been trying to reduce my carbon footprint by buying recyclable products only, by eating organic, and by eating less meat,” said sophomore Sophia Cuyler. 

Additionally, Jongsma is vegetarian and bikes to school.

Greta Thunbeg at the UN Climate Action Summit.

In August 2018, Thunberg began skipping school on Fridays, holding a sign in front of the Swedish parliament that read “school strike for the climate.”

Her activism inspired major youth climate strikes worldwide in March and May of this year. Last month’s strikes took place from September 20-27 to coincide with UN climate conferences.

Thunberg addressed world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit: “The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us I say we will never forgive you.”

LA native ​Slater Jewell-Kemker​ has special insight into the growing influence of the youth climate movement. At 15, she began filming other activists, following them around the world for more than 10 years. This culminated in her 2018 film, Youth Unstoppable.

“Our generation has had to grow up faster because our leaders have either refused to lead, or refused to acknowledge there is a problem,” Jewell-Kemker said. “So we have to step up and change the world ourselves.”

As someone who paved the way for Thunberg, Jewell-Kemker understands the immense pressure facing this new generation of youth climate activists.

“It's exhilarating but also a lot to bear, ” Jewell-Kemker said. “That's why this movement of young people that is exploding across the planet is so inspiring because we're not alone anymore.”

Slater Jewell-Kemker, director of Youth Unstoppable.

And the stakes couldn’t be higher.

“If human beings … do nothing to drastically cut our emissions and change the way we live, climate change will move beyond our control,” Jewell-Kemker said. “We are addressing the very mortality of our species.”

While individual efforts are crucial, Jewell-Kemker believes that only governments have the power to pass laws that will move us swiftly towards a carbon-neutral society. This is exactly what Thunberg and the youth climate movement are fighting for.

“As youth it's easy to believe we don't have this big voice in the Earth, but really it's completely opposite,” Jongsma said. “The climate strike marches … are demanding change, and the people in power know that we are not stopping until we get it.”

Students at a #SchoolStrike4Climate event in New York City.

This article originally appeared in The Point, Palos Verdes High School's campus newspaper. Color images courtesy of Kaia Rose and the Connect4Climate team. Black-and-white image courtesy of Slater Jewell-Kemker.

“The Great Green Wall is about peace, hope and uniting people,” Nigerian youth leader Hamzat Lawal told an audience assembled in New York during last week’s UN proceedings. “Trees can curb climate change.” Not only do trees remove CO2 from the air and supply the oxygen we breathe—they also offer visual hope, providing bright green life where once there was nothing.

On the eve of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, UNGA attendees came together for a discussion and celebration of the Great Green Wall initiative unfolding across Africa from Senegal to Djibouti. The ambitious endeavor aims to rally the communities and economies of the Sahel region behind the goal of creating an 8,000-km wall of green spanning the entire continent: a new wonder of the world.

Timberland pledge their support to the Great Green Wall. (Leigh Vogel)

An African-led movement, the Great Green Wall aims to drive forward climate-smart solutions and restore life to degraded landscapes in order to provide food security, jobs and thriving new economies for the communities living in Africa’s Sahel region. The scope of the project extends far beyond a physical mosaic of trees: it is a people-driven movement, one which offers economic benefits and social unity to a region that has long grappled with poverty and violence.

At the UNGA event, the eco-friendly footwear manufacturer Timberland announced its support for the Great Green Wall campaign. “As a brand pursuing a better future for our planet, Timberland is proud to join the Great Green Wall movement,” the company’s president, Jim Pisani, stated, “which we see as crucial in supporting communities on the front lines of the global climate emergency and building a more sustainable and equitable future.”

UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw wants the Wall to be reality by 2030. (Kaia Rose)

Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, convened the event, which was jointly organized by the UNCCD and Connect4Climate - World Bank Group, to call on governments, civil society and business to join a growing global movement to make the Great Green Wall a reality by 2030.  The World Bank Group was represented by Juergen Voegele, Global Director, Climate Change, who called the Great Green Wall “a tremendous example of how we can fight poverty by revitalizing degraded land through climate-smart practices.”

Connect4Climate’s contributions to the Great Green Wall advocacy campaign include providing support for the Great Green Wall documentary, which recently premiered at Venice Film Festival. Produced by MAKE Waves and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) with backing from long-standing Connect4Climate partner Building Energy, the film tracks Malian singer and activist Inna Modja as she travels across Africa, visiting countries along the Great Green Wall where sustainability and reforestation projects are taking root.  Along the journey, she witnesses the impact of climate change on numerous communities in the Sahel, and is inspired by stories of resilience, optimism and collective action to fight for the Wall and all it signifies.

Waje sings for the crowd. (Leigh Vogel)

Famed Nigerian vocalist Waje performed at the UNGA event, as did the Malian group Songhoy Blues. The music of both artists features prominently in the Great Green Wall documentary, and they provided an emotional close to an evening full of hope and possibility.

Enthusiasm around the Great Green Wall and its message continued into September 23, when an event titled “From Green Walls to Green Wallets: The Importance of Financing Nature-Based Solutions” took place at Nature’s Climate Hub. Expanding on the newly launched Principles of Responsible Banking, this dialogue brought multinational stakeholders together for a brainstorm of innovative financial strategies to boost nature-based climate solutions around the world.

Songhoy Blues close out the September 22 event in style. (Kaia Rose)

The event was devoted in large part to the Great Green Wall project and its model for bringing fresh, sustainable economic growth to a region searching for stability. Backed by the GEF and UNCCD among others, the initiative has already garnered some $4 billion in support. And as Laura Tuck, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank, asserted, “The World Bank is committed to staying engaged in the Sahel—supporting countries as they strive for a greener, more productive and healthy landscape, and an environment that is kinder to people.” Excerpts of the Great Green Wall film were showcased for attendees.

Connect4Climate was honored to participate in these events, which illustrated the power of the arts—film, music, and more—to connect people worldwide and build a movement around the bold vision of the Great Green Wall. The UNCCD’s Ibrahim Thiaw is beyond excited for what is to come. “The Great Green Wall is a truly inspirational initiative,” he said, “which is growing urgent solutions in the face of the 21st century’s greatest challenges.”

Banner image courtesy of Leigh Vogel.

Next week, the members of the UN General Assembly will gather in New York City for a Climate Action Summit specially convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in light of the severity of the climate crisis as well as the urgent need to implement the commitments of the Paris Agreement and raise global ambition on climate action.

Given the instrumental role youth leaders have played in bringing the crisis to the fore of international discussion, it’s only fitting that the weekend leading into the event will feature a dedicated Youth Summit where pioneering activists like Greta Thunberg will have the chance to talk sustainable strategy with up-and-coming entrepreneurs, student innovators, and policymakers, laying the groundwork for new commitments to be announced at the Climate Summit.

Taking place on Saturday, September 21, this Youth Summit will involve youth climate leaders from almost every country in the world in an “action-oriented, intergenerational, and inclusive” event. The sessions scheduled for the Summit are well-aligned with C4C’s own advocacy priorities, addressing such topics as circularity in fashion (Fashion4Climate) and climate communication in sports (Sport4Climate). The Summit will also highlight young entrepreneurs with a pitch competition, examine “the anatomy of influence” on- and offline, feature a musical performance by Nigerian pop star Waje, and much more.

C4C is providing special support to the Youth Policy Jam happening in the afternoon, which will bring youth leaders together with experts in finance and policy for a dynamic discussion on how to unlock climate finance at a scale commensurate with the climate crisis.  The Policy Jam is designed to develop creative collaborative solutions on how to generate more ambitious and youth-friendly climate finance—solutions which will subsequently be presented as tangible outcomes during the General Assembly.

With the spotlight on youth action, Connect4Climate saw an ideal opportunity to launch a new #YouthTakeover, inviting local students passionate about climate communications to take the helm on C4C’s social media coverage of the Youth Summit and other exciting climate action events happening around New York City during the weekend of September 21-22.  Follow their journeys on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #YouthTakeover. 

The #YouthTakeover initiative has come a long way over the course of the past year, building momentum at climate events in Europe before making big splashes at the 2019 Innovate4Climate conference in Singapore and, most recently, Asia-Pacific Climate Week in Bangkok, Thailand. C4C looks forward to debuting the #YouthTakeover concept in North America and to giving young people the chance to tell the stories of their own climate heroes on the historic occasion of the UN’s Youth Climate Summit.

Climate change is just global warming was a huge misconception I had when I stepped before the registration counter of the UN Asia-Pacific Climate Week conference, held in my hometown of Bangkok.

It is safe to say that I was totally clueless about climate change, especially when compared with those in business attire standing next to me. The only thing I knew was that, as youth ambassadors, my four classmates and I would try to learn as much as possible from the event in order to produce content for Connect4Climate's social media accounts.

I followed a stream of people into the conference hall as the plenary session was about to begin. I grabbed my notebook, doubtful there would be anything cool to tweet about. But by the end of the very first session, I had already learned numerous surprising facts.

One sad truth that I learned was that the Asia Pacific region is “the most vulnerable to climate change,” losing more than 675 billion dollars every year to natural disasters exacerbated by the unstable climate. And unfortunately, we are only making matters worse, continuing to emit the harmful greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.

Panelists at the conference took turns proposing possible ways out of this dreadful situation. As I was listening to their refreshing ideas, I could not help but notice that all of them referred back to one key term: Article 6.

Curious, I did my own research, coming to the realization that Article 6 is a part of the Paris Agreement, a mutual agreement among members of the UN to curb the rise of global temperatures. Since the agreement was signed in 2016, Article 6 has been used as a rallying cry to raise ambition and boost international cooperation in the fight against climate change. I think its message aligns well with the motto for this year’s upcoming UN Climate Action Summit, 'a race we can win.' 

Starting to realize the importance of the event in Bangkok, I directed my energy to trying to understand other parts of the complex discussion. What sparked my interest the most was the topic of ‘carbon pricing.’ I was surprised to learn that by simply putting a tax on carbon, we could persuade the industrial sector to take responsibility for their pollution. The government could also use the revenue from those taxes to tackle other national issues such as poverty and food security.

I was also impressed to hear of the progress we’ve made in recent years. Indonesia has become the leading country in meeting decarbonization standards, the Philippines is investing greatly in renewable energy sectors, and Bangladesh and Thailand are developing eco-friendly transportation systems. Every country is putting in an incredible amount of effort to push forward the actual implementation of their targets under the Paris Agreement.

I thought my learning process would end when I left the conference room, but I was wrong; I found that the space outside, which had been empty in the morning, was suddenly filled with exhibition booths of various organizations. Even though they were from different corners of the world, all of their work was dedicated to the mutual goal of identifying the best climate solutions.

You could say I was young at heart when I walked past all the advanced innovative technologies and stopped at a game booth for elementary schoolers. The person at the booth explained to me how effective it was bringing in a simple Snakes and Ladders game to teach kids about climate change. The rules were easy: if you rolled the dice and landed on the square with eco-friendly actions, you would go up the ladder. On the other hand, you would move down the ladder for eco-unfriendly actions.

Of course, I could not resist the invitation to test the game, and I ended up playing for ten full minutes. I was enjoying it so much that I completely forgot that it was 'educational.' Yet, by the end of it, I remembered so clearly what eco-unfriendly actions had jeopardized my position as a winner that I walked out of the booth with a new mindset, committed to not doing any of those things in the future. 

Apart from the fun, educational exhibition booths, there was also an action hub: a stage where ideas were exchanged and creativity was ignited. You did not have to be the greatest entrepreneur or the most renowned activist to be on the stage. It was for everyone.

My four classmates and I were standing before the stage, jaws dropping, as one of young entrepreneurs shared his vision. "I believe everyone has the ability to get out there and do something about climate change." The sparkle of passion in his eyes and the strong determination in his voice made his words sound so promising and far beyond his age.

Getting to meet inspiring people at Asia-Pacific Climate Week, I came to realize that climate change is much more than boring scientific facts we have been taught in school. It is not only about the rise of global temperatures, melting icebergs or ozone depletion, but countries’ economies, people's well-being, and even the vision of our future lifestyle. Everything is connected.

Thus, it is now time to help get the message across that solving climate change is not only the duty of one region, one country, or one government, but every single one of us. When we believe that our voices matter and are committed to doing better, the mission of saving Planet Earth will not be far out of hand. It is a race we can win.

Photos by fellow #YouthTakeover participant Kamolchanok Kieatmontri.

From September 2-6 in Bangkok, Thailand, Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW) will bring together climate leaders from around the world to discuss the way forward for the region and the planet at large. Connect4Climate is excited to announce that the conference will mark the latest installment in its #YouthTakeover initiative, providing local students with a chance to communicate new ideas about how to engage and activate young audiences.

Building on the momentum of recent #YouthTakeover events in Singapore and Italy, Connect4Climate will take the opportunity presented by the wide-reaching APCW to hand its Twitter and Instagram channels over to a team of communications and media students from Thailand’s prestigious Mahidol University. As the region’s leading climate experts convene to create clear pathways to the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in September and COP25 in December, these talented young people will offer their perspectives on what’s happening through original messaging and Instagram stories. September 4 and 5 are the official #YouthTakeover days at APCW, but be on the lookout for surprise youth posts elsewhere in the week as well!

All participants in the takeover will set out to seek answers to a fundamental question: What innovations can help bridge the gap between the solutions currently being implemented on the ground and the further action that must be taken in order for the region to reach its Paris Agreement goals? It will be a challenging task for the young journalists, but undoubtedly they will be up to it.

Connect4Climate is honored to continue the #YouthTakeover program in memory of Max Thabiso Edkins, who always recognized the power of youth to take the helm on climate issues, speak out for their planet, and steer society towards a sustainable future.