Climate: when young people speak out
He will attend COP 22, which will be held in Marrakesh in November. For David Resillas, representative of a UM student association and delegate for Youngo[1], it is now essential to give the voices of young people around the world a greater say in climate negotiations.
The next annual climate change conference, COP22, will be held from November 7 to 18, 2016, in Marrakesh, under the auspices of the United Nations. But before this major event, there was an intermediate stage: the pre-COP22, which was held until May 26 in Bonn, Germany. The main objective of this "intersession" was to work on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Among the "climate negotiators" present in Bonn was David Resillas, 25, representing the Youngo movement.[1] and member of the REFEDD board of directors[2]This student at IAE Montpellier is also the co-founder of EDDA.[3], student association at the University of Montpellier.
What were the issues at stake at the Bonn meeting?
Maintaining the momentum of COP21, staying on course, and clarifying the path forward. The Paris Climate Agreement was adopted by 195 countries, and the ratification process is ongoing: France has just ratified the Paris Agreement. In Bonn, alongside this process, the aim was to ensure that promises were kept, set out a roadmap, and also discuss any new issues that may have arisen. At this major forum, where various coalitions and lobbying groups made their voices heard, the Youngo organization represented youth associations from around the world, focusing on two main themes: education and intergenerational equity.
What is the message from the young people of Youngo?
My generation will be hit hard by climate change. The effects of global warming are already here, and they will only get worse. If we don't put measures in place to reduce emissions, adapt to change, and raise awareness, it will be up to us to manage the crisis! This generation is therefore a victim in the making, yet it still has no say in the matter. We have concrete and innovative proposals, and we want to be heard: people my age have new ideas to share. Today's decision-makers are highly qualified, but their approach remains much the same as it was 50 years ago. We need a paradigm shift: sustainable development is the main tool for overcoming the climate crisis. This is a culture that my generation is very aware of.
How do you hope to influence the negotiations?
Young people are still largely underrepresented in the debates. But the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is fully aware that young people have something valuable to contribute to addressing these global challenges: their creativity, their energy, their passion. The delegates of YOUNGO*, of which I am a member, are there to represent the voice of youth. We are not professionals but students, coming from community organizations. We therefore have a free and impartial position in the debates: we are not bound by any professional constraints or economic interests. This is a strength: our words carry all the more weight.
What are your next concrete actions?
This will mainly involve developing the program for national youth delegates to the UN. The program is already in place, but needs to be better structured. The first task for these young delegates will be to meet with young people in their countries to raise awareness, encourage them to become more actively involved, and take note of their expectations and projects. We will propose that these young delegates be included in the negotiating teams and be able to influence the debates through voting rights. We therefore need to convince the UN, but also the Member States, as involvement in the young delegates program still varies greatly from country to country.
Landmarks
- Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 represent approximately 18% of the current global population, making them the largest cohort of young people in history.
- The text adopted on December 12, 2015 (Paris Agreement) aims to limit global warming to below 2°C by the end of the century.
[1] Youngo brings together youth organizations from around the world within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN body responsible for climate negotiations.
[2] REFEDD is a network of student associations that carry out sustainable development projects in areas such as food, biodiversity, climate, waste, etc. REFEDD is an association governed by the French law of 1901.
[3] Students for Sustainable Development Associations.