By Obiabin Onukwugha
As attention shifts from speeches to the need for World Leaders to match words with action, Youths representing the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth have joined in calls for the COP28 to move beyond speeches and deliver concrete action that will safeguard the planet.
Their call was contained in a report launched during an intergenerational dialogue organised by the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN) and the Commonwealth Secretariat at the ongoing Conference of Parties, COP28 in Dubai on Friday.
The dialogue was part of a series of events being hosted this year to mark 2023/2024 as ‘the Year of Youth’.
The report outlined the climate concerns of young people in the Commonwealth, and highlighted the need for governments to engage youths in decision-making, while insisting that the hope of tackling climate change lies with young people.
The youth leaders expressed disappointment at the lack of action by countries to a wealth of recommendations the body presented at COP26 in Glasgow.
The Commonwealth youths leaders insisted that there was need for governments to focus on creating conditions that allow young people to share their experiences on climate risks and influence policymaking, as countries negotiate the outcomes of the conference.
Opening the dialogue, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, said young people make up 60 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population.
Scotland reasoned that youths are humanity’s greatest asset, noting that the recommendations contained in the report offer countries a blueprint to engage young people as strategic partners in climate action for their future.
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She said: “Young people are among those facing the harshest consequences of the climate crisis. Despite this, they embody the spirit of hope, using their ingenuity and passion to deliver tangible climate solutions.
“It is our duty to engage and listen to young people on policies and practices shaping climate mitigation and adaptation efforts across all levels.”
The Secretary-General added: “The report’s recommendations offer countries a blueprint to engage young people as strategic partners in climate action for their future – a future that relies on the health of our planet.”
Also, Membership lead of the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network, Chevaughn Brown, said the report gave young people a voice in shaping their future.
He added: “A common future can be achieved if we treat the future as the present. With decisive planning and making the right choices, climate change can be just stories of what could have been a distant past.”
The dialogue was designed to provide young people with a platform to engage with leaders, including the Commonwealth Secretary-General, on climate risks and support structures for youth-led climate action, innovation, and ocean conservation.
To amplify youth-oriented solutions to pressing ocean issues, the Commonwealth Blue Charter and Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network launched a specialised Commonwealth Ocean Youth Working Group.
Furthermore, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Ocean Youth Working Group, Ibiso Ikiroma-Owiye, stressed that youth participation in climate change processes is not a privilege but a fundamental right.
She said: “Young people deserve a seat at the table and should not have to struggle to finance the implementation of innovative projects for our shared and sustainable future.”
Reports say the Commonwealth Youth Policy Recommendations on Climate Change report was produced by the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network, with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s support.
