Why youth voices are so important
Without having a say in the matter, the youth of today have inherited a planet that is under severe ecological stress.
A lack of decisive climate action from global leaders will mean these generations could end up living on a planet that is near uninhabitable. This, without change, will be a result of many reckless decisions made by long gone generations.
It makes sense that UNICEF describes the climate crisis as a child’s rights crisis. The organisation points out that 1 billion children are already in an extremely vulnerable position due to the impacts of climate change.
For this huge number, food and water, safety of shelter, healthcare, and education are at risk of being snatched away by extreme weather events such as drought, storms, and flooding.
It’s no wonder that young voices have been the loudest in the fight against climate change. Leading school strikes, protests, petitions and more, young people have shown their commitment and fierce motivation to incite social change.
Their primary goals are protecting those most affected, such as Indigenous Peoples and those living in countries most susceptible to climate disasters. Comprehensive strategies for mitigation, adaptation, and separate funding for loss and damage are amongst their key demands.
As of yet, most official meetings relating to environmental protection have happened behind closed doors with young people largely excluded.
This is best illustrated by past COP meetings, which have done the bare minimum in welcoming the policy ideas, lived stories, and personal feelings of youth.
Why past COP meetings fell short
Though COP26 in Scotland was advertised as ‘the most inclusive COP yet’, opportunities for young people to get involved in climate policy were few and far between.
Not to mention, strict pandemic protocols were still in place, meaning young people from the Global South – countries currently bearing the brunt of the climate crisis – were unable to attend due to COVID vaccine disparity.
Reacting to the event’s Youth Day, The Global Director of Child Poverty and Climate at Save The Children said:
‘The inclusion of children and young people has not been made a priority, even with major barriers to attendance like vaccine inequity and global inequality. But even those who have made it here have struggled… [they have been] excluded from negotiations.’
It seems like a no brainer to allow young people to shape the future they want to see, instead of letting self-interested politicians and other leaders make short-sighted decisions that are heavily biased by economic gain.
Let’s hope that next month in Egypt, the Children and Youth Pavilion, led by the Fridays for Future and Loss and Damage Youth Coalition is given the say it deserves.
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