[written by Kendra Kallevig and Matt Maiorana from SustainUS]
Just days after returning from the UN climate meetings in Bonn, Germany, State Department Special Envoy on Climate Change Todd Stern made it a priority to address young people, congratulating us on our work so far, and asking that we keep it up. It is clear that youth pressure will be essential in building support for domestic legislation and securing a strong international agreement at the UN climate talks this December in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Youth have made it clear over the past month that we are stepping up to the plate. At the recent Bonn climate negotiations, a group of 20 passionate youth from around the world came together to take action, just as thousands are currently doing in their home communities. This is truely a global movement with amazing people working at every level.
We have a huge amount of work to do before Copenhagen – the emission targets being seriously considered internationally still aren’t what the need to be, nor is the level of financial support going to developing countries. Domestically, in the U.S., it’s even worse. We are way behind. Politicians seem to be under the assumption that we can negotiate with the science. We can’t. And we’re running out of time.
Youth in Bonn worked day and night to help change the political dynamic and redfine what’s is seen as possible. By the end of the 10-day negotiations, any of the 2,000 participants at the meeting could have told you exactly what the group 20 youth were up to, we made a huge impact. And each of them would tell you with a smile. That’s what was really impressive.
We were able to connect with government delegates on a human level. Many of them understand what we’re up against better than most. But they have their hands tied by national governments. We worked to empower them and help them understand what is at stake. We called on them to be leaders when the go back home, joining us in changing the political reality.
It all started with a simple question: “How old will you be in 2050?” One of the most important officials at the negotiations, the Chair of the working group on Long-Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) loved the message and proudly talked about it throughout the negotiations:
One aspect of the international negotiations that has become a topic of debate is the issue of forests. SustainUS, along with the National Wildlife Federation, have recently kicked off the Forest Justice Campaign, through which college students are taking action to protect forests, one of the world’s greatest carbon sinks and buffers against catastrophic climate change, and persuading elected officials to pursue a just climate treaty that protects peoples who depend on the forest. Check out the campaign website at www.forestjustice.org.
Recognizing the need for strong domestic action in the U.S., youth are now out in force to put the pressure on at the first round of hearings on the Waxman-Markey draft climate bill to remind legislators that we voted for clean energy, green jobs, and a bold carbon cap, and we need this legislation now if we are to reach a strong international deal in December.
We hope that the video of Stern is the first of many discussions we will have with our public officials in the coming months and that this will help open channels of dialogue in which all youth can participate so that even if they don’t live in D.C., or can’t go to Copenhagen, there will be opportunities to make and impact on the climate process currently underway.
For those who are interested in going to Copenhagen, the application for SustainUS’s delegation is now available and can be downloaded at www.sustainus.org.
