The decisions we make today about the future of the planet will affect young people more than anybody else. A child born now is likely to suffer on average three to four times as many extreme climate events in their lifetime as their grandparents. If we fail to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the world young people will inherit will be unrecognisable. But still, young people are largely excluded from decisions
on how to solve the climate crisis despite their critical role in spearhe
ading climate action and offering innovative solutions. We must embrace their leadership, we must listen to their demands we must work to ensure their voices are heard and taken into account in the rooms where decisions are made. In this episode of Climate Action Explained, join us on a tour around the world to Georgia, India and Panama to see how young people are accessing the tools, and opportunities they need to shape the future of climate action. Climate change and rising temperatures are al
ready causing immense problems today, and their consequences will be irreversible in ten, fifteen, or twenty years down the line. Young people see the effects of climate change in their own community, in their own villages. The first question they ask is: Okay, I see it, but what can I do about it? The camp is organized for around seven to nine days and during this period, participants get information on various aspects of climate change and general environmental protection. I anticipate gaining
valuable
knowledge and insights from this camp that I can apply directly to my future profession in renewable energy production and technology. After participation in the Green Camp, the youngsters become Young Climate Ambassadors. Then this camp gives them an opportunity to implement small-scale but very interesting and important projects at their own community level. After completing the summer camp, I started a project together with my friends called “ERI-Team.” I recently learned about this
park, and I believe it holds a huge potential but lacks care and attention. We decided to visit the park and come up with ideas on how to promote its significance. To achieve this, we organized information sessions and various activities in schools and outdoor settings. Education about climate change
and its adaptation and mitigation starts from an early age. That's why it is really important that youngsters know what to do, whom to address, and what they themselves can do to address climate ch
ange. My name is Michael V L Chhandama and I am from the state of Mizoram, in northeast part of India. I belong to an Indigenous tribe called Mizo tribe. I am also currently a teacher at Mizoram University. I also co-founded an organization called Chawikan, which means to uplift. Through our initiatives, we wanted to empower the youth so that they can fight against social issues. We also partner with various colleges and conduct activities like tree planting, plastic picking, climate action work
shops, and distribute climate education books to children in the villages. Education is an important tool to create an empowered youth, but lack of access to quality education throughout the state create a youth who are not well informed. Because of this, youth are not confident enough to stand against the social injustices that they want to fight for. Also, youth hardly have a place at the decision-making table. And because of this, sometimes our voices are not heard, and concerns not put into
action. Youth activism is critical in addressing issues such as climate change. Youth activists provide new insight, innovative solutions, and long-term
perspective through their activism. Through mentorship, training, and networking opportunities, the fellows are addressing climate challenges unique to their communities while preserving their cultural heritage. The Indigenous Fellowship is one of
YECAP programme’s offers of targeted support to Indigenous fellows, recognizing the critical role o
f Indigenous perspectives and contributions in climate action. YECAP has given a platform for Indigenous youth like myself, across Asia and the Pacific so that we can share our own stories and learn from each other. The participation of youth in climate action is very important because we know that the climate crisis is really happening here. So, we have to raise our voices, and we have to educate, we have to go and campaign in order to educate everyone. Young people are energetic, intellectuals
and innovative. We have a very important role to play in fighting climate change. But in order to do this, we need to change ourselves, and we have to empower ourselves so that we can inspire others. Hi, I'm Beatriz Reyes from Panama. Welcome to my home. I come from a rural community that has a water reserve that supplies drinking water to the communities through its aqueducts. I am concerned that one day we will run out of water and that those people who depend
on natural resources for their f
ood will at some point experience such
great impacts from climate change that they do not even have safe food in their homes. This was one of the reasons why I got involved
in climate change issues. Young people are extremely worried. They know that global warming is accelerating, it is exacerbating, it is really disrupting their plans. Young people are absolutely important, and they also represent an overwhelming percentage, in the case of Panama, nearly 50% of the population. Panama is the fir
st country to create a roadmap for the implementation of the declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action and it is a totally innovative process because it includes children, adolescents
and youth from an early stage. It is not easy for young people to act on climate change issues. We get involved in debates, bills such as the climate change bill, and also in raising awareness in our schools, in our communities, and in inter-institutional governance to achieve optimal spaces for all youth.
That's why we helped them participate by creating a Youth Leadership Academy on Climate Change to add and integrate them into the
process of reviewing and updating climate ambitions in Panama. In 2018, I co-founded the organization Youth and Climate Change, led and founded by young people from all over the country, including youth from Indigenous Peoples. We young people must get involved, and get more people involved - children, adolescents, adults, in specific actions like the one we are carry
ing out today, the beach cleanup, which eliminates some of the pollution in our coastal marine ecosystems. We need our voices to be heard, we need all measures related to climate change
to have an intergenerational approach that includes children, adolescents, youth and adults. As these examples show us, we have the answers to fight climate change and build a better, safer future. Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this episode, check out the rest of our series in the links below. What do yo
u think about these solutions? Let us know in the comments.
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