Youth Participation At The COP

Photo by Sujay Natson

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Author

Fredrik Eriksson

People who are young today will be the most affected by climate change, but how do youth around the world actually influence the trajectory of the COP negotiations to ensure that we avoid catastrophic climate change?
 
Youth attend COP as civil society representatives, researchers, activists, and official delegates, sometimes wearing multiple hats during the same conference. While in Bonn, I had a chance to sit down with some of these young attendees in the first few days of the conference and ask about their role, motivations, and hopes for COP23.

Kajsa Fernström Nåtby is the Swedish national youth delegate.
 
What was your path to COP?
“I represent the Student Association for Foreign Policy at my university within the umbrella organization for Swedish Youth Organizations. I was selected by the latter to represent them, and Swedish youth, at the COP. Here, I am part of the official Swedish delegation.”
 
Why did you want to come to COP and what are you doing at the conference?
“I’ve been passionate about climate change and the environment since I was 11 years old. It’s super cool to have the opportunity to represent Swedish youth at COP in this issue, right in the middle of the place where the important decisions happen!
At COP I represent Swedish youth, both at home and at the conference. Since I have unique access to our official delegation, I talk to the people I represent and try to collect opinions, so that I can make sure that the Swedish delegation keeps those in mind throughout the negotiations.
If I could change one thing, I wish I had been elected earlier in the year so that I would have been able to spend more time to talk to youth around the country and have more time to prepare even better for the conference.”
 
What’s your impression from the COP?
“I’m an optimist. One of the country delegates mentioned in one of the discussions that ‘we are all environmentalists here.’ And it’s true- the people who choose to go into this line of work aren’t some apathetic bureaucrats. The negotiators are here because they want to drive positive change, just like us!”
 
 
Bean Crane is a member of SustainUS, an American environmental advocacy organization for young people.
 
What was your path to COP?
“SustainUS is an American organization that connects domestic movements with international movements. In that process we train young peope to be empowered to advocate for climate justice. SustainUS regularly sends delegations to COP through their membership in YOUNGO, and I applied to be part of this year’s delegation.”
 
Why did you want to come to COP and what are you doing at the conference?
“Once here, SustainUS argues more forcefully than the average YOUNGO organization for things like climate justice, intergenerational justice, and a concern for the global South. We’re a member of the Demand Climate Justice coalition. YOUNGO has traditionally been quite focused on specific policy changes and detailed changes in the agreement texts, whereas we believe that climate justice, storytelling, and building a movement are more urgent priorities. We’re trying to get other advocacy organizations to join us in building momentum for these things!”
 
What’s your impression from the COP?
“At the conference, there is so much media attention given to the U.S. We try to redirect some of that media attention to important issues and solutions that relate to the global South, indigenous peoples, and Least Developed Countries!”
 
 
Julia Lönnqvist is a member of PUSH Sweden, a network of youth who work for sustainability.
 
What was your path to COP?
“I’ve been working with PUSH back home in Sweden and organizing Sustainability meetups. I was in Bonn earlier this year for the intersessional as well.”
 
Why did you want to come to COP and what are you doing at the conference?
“PUSH tries to influence the negotiations directly here at COP, and also to spread awareness about the negotiations to young people in Sweden through our blog www.pushtocop.org. By being here in person we can give the most accurate account and get the best understanding of what’s going on, so that we can communicate the right message to our readers. We try to be funny and easy to read to reach the widest youth audience and have an impact. We also give talks for schools and organizations at home that are interested in learning more about COP.
Our direct influence on site is mostly through YOUNGO, the official UN constituency of young people. YOUNGO gets to make remarks during the proceedings and one of the PUSH members delivered one of these remarks early on in the conference, arguing that we need to improve the way we handle the presence of the fossil fuel industry at COPs, decreasing the influence of corporations that have a vested interest running in the opposite direction of what the negotiations are trying to achieve. Preparing these remarks involves soliciting thoughts from the YOUNGO member organizations, including ourselves, and crafting a powerful statement. On this particular issue, it was also wonderful to see YOUNGO come together with other constituents such as the Environmental NGOs and some country delegations.”
 
What’s your impression from the COP?
“I’ve been surprised by how much the delegates really seem to care about the issues being discussed at COP, even though they may not always have the mandate to act upon it. For example, the official Swedish delegation has been very willing to listen to our concerns and we have had an ongoing dialogue with them leading up to the conference. It has been fascinating to see first-hand what multilateral negotiations look like – sometimes the tone is surprisingly relaxed!”
 
 
Dan Holod is a senior at Cornell university
 
What was your path to COP?
“I’m taking a class this semester called ‘International governance on climate change’ that is sending a total of 10 students to COP over the course of the two weeks.”
 
Why did you want to come to COP and what are you doing at the conference?
“My interest in climate was first piqued when I spent time in Indonesia working with cocoa farmers. I am here to learn more about the political dynamics [that ultimately affect people around the world]. At COP I am helping Cornell with side events that our professors give and I am also helping conduct a survey.”
 
What’s your impression from the COP?
“I have had the chance to meet and talk with people who are interested in capacity building for farmers, which I’ll be able to use for my thesis and which connects to my experience in Indonesia. Attending the conference is also a great opportunity to see if this is something I’d want to do for a career in the future.”