In desperation at the slow progress of world Governments to halt the climate crisis, children and young adults’ voices have become louder and, it seems, they may be being heard at last! This is not just the result of school strikes or demonstrations but by their direct communication with political and business leaders. Now, they are invited to speak to world audiences at international climate events, some resorting to legal means, seeking climate justice for the world and their future.
In September 2020 we highlighted 6 young Portuguese climate activists who, through the global legal action network and youth4climate justice took 33 countries to the Court of Human Rights. This, they argued, was for failing to play their part in averting a climate catastrophe. We now know that the Strasbourg court made this case a priority! Last year, the defence of each of those 33 Governments was passed to the youth-applicant’s legal team to respond to by January 12th 2022. Climate experts are now gathering further supportive evidence. We wish them luck and wait to see what happens.
We also featured ‘Teach the Future’ (TTF), a youth led organisation campaigning for climate education in schools. TTF say students are not being prepared to enable them to face the effect of the climate crisis, or taught to understand the solutions. Last November, TTF took their Climate Education Bill to Westminster. The MP, Nadia Whittome, introduced the Bill into Parliament where it now awaits its second reading - an achievement to have reached this far, we hope it will be passed.
In 2020, COP26 was postponed. (This is the big annual global Climate Change event where countries come together and pledge actions to halt climate change). Young people believed that past events like this demonstrated how Governments were just not doing enough. It spurred them to more climate strikes and to try different ways of being heard. A group of youth-led delegates decided to hold an online ‘Mock COP26’ conference event. Over 330 youth delegates from 140 countries were involved.
These delegates shared their hopes and ambitions, to fight for a world that was fair, green and equal. At the end of their youth conference, Mock COP26 members decided on several important requirements to share with their country’s leaders. These included the need for:- climate education, climate justice worldwide, good health and protecting biodiversity. Their next step was for members to lobby their leaders to put these requirements into action.
In November 2021, the UK hosted the delayed official COP26 event. Thousands of young people, from the UK and the world, travelled to Glasgow calling for more action from the international decision makers. Inside the COP Blue Zone, young activists successfully delivered a 40,000 signature Youth Statement demanding they be heard and to be included in the negotiations. Representatives of the Mock COP26 team introduced their organisation and demands to the global leaders.
Alok Sharma, COP26 President, declared “The voices of young people must be heard and reflected in these negotiations here at COP. The actions and scrutiny of young people are key to us keeping 1.5° alive and creating a net-zero future”.