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“The world leaders, can you hear yet? We need action,” a young man- at his 25 from African country Liberia, told the Business Post when asked the question what do you want to say to the global leaders.
Only two words “action” and “now” are domination the whole conference venue at Egyptian resort city Sharm El-Sheikh, on the coast of the red sea. The words came here just beside its neighboring country as Abubakar Kromah came to join the conference from Liberia the nearest one of Egypt.
However, not only from the desert Liberia the voice reached to the venue. The same words have come here by crossing every island, seas, oceans, mountains and from every continent of this earth, even from Antarctica as youth are representating penguins and ice beer by performing wearing those replicas on behalf of them as those animals and birds do not know the conference venue.
One of negotiators from Bangladesh said till now it is not clear that the inclusion of loss and damage finance facilities, the mechanism of compensating vulnerable countries in a real sense those have faced a huge assets and life loss due to climate change in COP27 agenda, can bring any fruitful result in case of finance in next three years. Generally, it takes decade or decades to achieve anything from the conference. It has just begun. The negotiator is around 60.
Hema Pati, a young girl from Asian country India, think the developed countries and the top polluting countries have to start taking actions to stop their emissions.
Echoing Abubakar she said, “It is now or never for us literally. So, actions must happen now. This year’s COP is a COP for implementation. We all should come together. You should start hearing youth voices.
She also urged “ensure that we are also part of the decision-making process. And ensure that decision to stop emission must happen today. There is no tomorrow for us otherwise.
“All of us want our voice to be heard. We want climate justice we want it now,” Hema added.
A louder voice is more audible then the gossiping. While negotiators negotiating in a down voice. Even some times they do not call polluters as a polluter at the same time youth are very loud.
When someone enter through the main entrance of the conference venue’s blue zone where all the pavilions and meeting rooms are situated, the first thing the people will hear some people are screaming we want justice, we want compensation. Please polluters, no more pollution. Stop dirty energy, stop fossil fuel many other slogans.
Viktoriya Ball, a European 22 years old girl from Ukraine, said, “to the biggest polluters I would say that they need to stop the latent greenwashing they are doing specially at this conference. You have coca cola, one of the main sponsors of this conference, absolutely unexpectable. We wrote letter to the COP27 presidency that this biggest polluter has been responsible for the destruction of livelihood of so many communities. we can’t be giving their platform at any shape or form.”
They, youth are keen about the set up the loss and damage financial facility. They also bold to pay the committed money. And the youth are thinking about the people of the other parts of the globe.
When they speak it look like they are the most knowledgeable than any other climate theorist at the old age.
“One of our main demand is climate finance is delivered upon. This is been a huge fight for young climate activist. We are really happy that loss and damage finally on the agenda for negotiations."
"Commitment given by the world leaders to fight climate crisis is not enough. Because so many countries are been consequently facing their worst consequences of climate destructions. Pakistan particularly in the global south,” Viktoriya said.
The loss and damage finance facility included in the agenda in this years COP but the words polluters and compensation is not included.
One of the negotiators from Bangladesh told me that- they, the developed countries who are mainly the polluters can not like these words. That is why these words were not included.
However, the youth and children delegation directly terming them polluters and demanding compensation for the damage happened due to their dirty activities.
Bodhi Patil, a Canadian young boy, from the North-America continent, said, “The biggest polluters, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-co Unilever etc to be held accountable for the full life cycle of the plastic waste for instance. Yes, we need to hold them accountable to their waste, their full cycle ways. Starting possible fossil oil, natural gas etc. This can be done by pushing forward and ratifying the global plastic treaty. And one way we can do this is by having governments endorse.”
He also urged to fulfill the $100 billion per year climate finance through Green Climate Fund (GCF) from 2020 which was committed by the developed countries. Not only allocation the money he wants his and other governments will monitor the whole process with transparency.
While different reports including Inter-governmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Climate Vulnerable Forum and other global entities fear about the temperature can rise even up to 3 degrees from the pre-industrial time, the youth are with the solution to restrict it within 1.5 degree by the end of this century.
“Not just deploying the funding but being involved in through the process of doing so. And we're also showing that a lot of us have the solutions and a lot of us are willing and especially from North America to connect and work with people and young people from all around the globe and we need to solve financing our solutions for climate mitigation adaptation and the secure future."
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It is saying that the loss and damage finance facility is the center focus in this years conference.
What is loss and damage. Let us hear from a young man of an island.
Darren, around 23, from Vanuatu, a country of Australia continent, said “I am from a big village. Our lives, our livelihood, our culture and our traditions are being damaged and lost to climate change.
Much of what we lost can’t be regain. Our beautiful land and beached are damaged forever.”
In a simple word this is loss and damage which assets never be regain.
‘We can wait for years for action, he added.
While all the participants are reserve, busy and look like they are doing serious bureaucratic like activities while the youth are engaged them with the music.
Their activities gave a new look and attracted attention of the rest and the polluters and sponsors are also changing attitude.
“young people do music. These not just a music. These are words which are more powerful. Calling upon world leaders stand with us, he concluded.
From morning to evening young people are keeping themselves engaged with musing, song, dance, flash mob, holding placards, wearing traditional dresses, keeping discution on with each other and in many other activities.
And the young lady from the last continent I talked with is Latin America. Her name is Sandra and she is from El Salvador said, “we are at the middle of the America. We have too many demands. To meet the demands, we need a real action. Not playing negotiation game.
‘We, all the young people are engaging together in side events. But I would like to say we are the most in the sound but the world leaders are the most important. Please act accordingly. Stand with the vulnerable governments and their people, she concluded.
However, another youth Sohanur Rahman from Bangladesh informed that the youth are the main pressure at least at the venue with their innovative activities during the conference. And they are also important as they are the future generation and the largest age group in case of number.
This Story was produced as part of the 2022 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
This Story was produced as part of the 2022 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
