Youth Climate Movement

Last updated
International Youth Climate Movement
AbbreviationIYCM
FormationDecember 2005 [1]
TypeInternational Coalition of Charitable Organizations & Individuals
Legal statusActive
Purpose Youth representation, climate change advocacy
HeadquartersNone
Location
  • Representation in over 100 countries
Region served
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia,
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada,
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China,
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe,
Flag of India.svg  India,
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan,
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom,
Flag of the United States.svg  United States of America,
Flag of France.svg  France [2]
Membership
Open to all youth worldwide active in stopping climate change
Official language
Over 50. Common communication language is UK English.
Key people
Sébastien Duyck, Wilson Ang, Kyle Gracey, Anna Keenan, Caroline Howe, Matt Maiorana, Amber Church, Michael Gale
Main organ
Bottomlining Team - Main coordination entity, No decisionmaking power
Parent organization
None
Affiliations Climate Action Network - International, Global Campaign for Climate Action, Unite for Climate. [3]
Staff
0, historically up to 6 [1]
Volunteers
25000+

The Youth Climate Movement (YouNGO) [4] or International Youth Climate Movement (IYCM) refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.

Contents

Organisation

Formation

Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, individual youth have been participating in international negotiations related to different environmental and sustainable development issues. With the formation of the European Youth Forum in 1996, and the U.S. youth organization SustainUS in 2001, youth-run organizations began to send delegations of youth to actively participation in these various worldwide negotiations, principally through the United Nations. Individual youth had been participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and with the new level of youth organization participation in international negotiations, youth organizations began to identify the UN climate negotiations as a new forum to increase youth participation in.

From November 28 to December 9, 2005, the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Convention (COP 11 or COP/MOP 1) took place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Youth delegations from member nations, including the United States (via SustainUS), Canada, and Australia, attended to advocate on behalf of young people. As a result, the concept of the International Youth Climate Movement was first developed, though it was originally referred to as the International Youth Delegation, referring to the youth delegates at the international climate negotiations. [5]

Following on from this in September 2006, the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition was launched, consisting of 48 youth organisations from across the nation. [6] This was soon followed by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition in November, which itself was a coalition of 27 youth organisations from across Australia. [7]

In March 2008, the Indian Youth Climate Network joined the Global Youth Climate Movement whilst in June 2008, the United Kingdom ambassadors to the World Wide Fund for Nature's Voyage for the Future programme, Emma Biermann and Casper ter Kuile, created the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC), after returning from the Arctic to witness the impact of climate change. [8] More recently, coalitions in Africa, China, Japan, Pacific Islands and South Asia have been established with the same mission statement as the International Youth Climate Movement.

Structure

Across the world, there are youth organisations who have formed coalitions to take positive action on climate change, such as the UK Youth Climate Coalition, which are led entirely by a team of young people. Each Climate Coalition or Climate Network is affiliated to a regional or continental movement. These movements include the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change; Caribbean Youth Environmental Network; European Youth Climate Movement; Project Survival Pacific; Nordic Youth Climate Action Movement; North East Asia Youth Environmental Network; the South American Youth Climate Coalition and the South Asia Youth Environment Network. Consequently, these local, national and continental organisations come together to form the International Youth Climate Movement.

Governance

The International Youth Climate Movement, although an umbrella term for the movements of young people taking place across the world, is run by teams of volunteers. These teams of volunteers organise themselves into different working groups and form the central organs of the movement, coordinated by a "Bottomlining Team" that helps to organize their efforts, especially at international climate negotiations. [9]

Funding

The movement is funded by contributions from its member organisations, as well as occasional contributions from organizations like UNICEF and the government of the Netherlands. [10]

Members

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Participating countries
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A map of countries participating in the Youth Climate Movement Legend:
  Participating countries
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National members of the Youth Climate Movement include: the AYLCF Climate Action Network (France); Australian Youth Climate Coalition; Canadian Youth Climate Coalition; Arab Youth Climate Movement, China Youth Climate Action Network; ECO Singapore; Energy Action Coalition (U.S.A.), headed by coalition organization SustainUS; Project Survival Pacific, Ghana National Youth Coalition on Climate Change; Hong Kong Climate Change Coalition; Indian Youth Climate Network; Japan Youth Ecology League; Malaysian Youth Climate Justice Network; Nature and Youth Denmark; New Zealand Youth Delegation; Nigerian Youth Green Coalition on Climate Change; Russian Youth Climate Movement; Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition; Bangladesh Youth Movement for Climate (BYMC); Young Friends of the Earth; World Alliance of YMCAs; World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts; World Organisation of the Scout Movement, Malaysia Youth Delegation (MYD) and the UK Youth Climate Coalition.

Campaigns

Alongside the national campaigns undertaken by the domestic coalitions and domestic networks, such as the Power Shift conferences, the International Youth also undertake their own global campaigns, which are coordinated by a team of young volunteers. [1]

Conference of Youth

The first Conference of Youth (COY) was held in 2005, in Montreal, Canada, shortly before the Eleventh Conference of Parties. The event brings together youth delegates for sharing resources, training, networking and collective discussions. It is also an opportunity for the youth climate movement to plan their activities over the course of the negotiations and the subsequent year.

The fifth Conference of Youth took place at the University of Copenhagen from the 4–6 December 2009 where over 700 young people from 100 countries are reported to have attended. [1] The sixth was held at the Universidad del Caribe in preparation for the Cancun climate negotiations.

The two- or three-day event takes place annually, and it is scheduled each year to be held shortly before the United Nations Conference of Parties, where nations convene to assess the progress of the climate negotiations.

Participation at the UNFCCC negotiation process

350.org climate change march in Melbourne, Australia in 2009 Climate change march, Melbourne CBD.jpg
350.org climate change march in Melbourne, Australia in 2009

Since 2005, each domestic coalition or network within the Youth Climate Movement has sent a delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) to represent young people in their respective country.

In June 2009, the youth organisations participating in the United Nations climate change negotiations submitted an application to become a constituency. In August 2009, the constituency application was provisionally approved by the climate change Secretariat, making youth the 7th constituency to join the climate negotiations. [11] The official title for the youth participation to the climate negotiations is 'YOUNGO'. [12] The maiden focal points for the YOUNGO elected were Wilson Ang (Singapore), sponsored by SustainUS, and Lina Li (China), sponsored by 350.org, representing the International Youth Climate Movement in an official capacity (despite the provisional status until 2011). [13]

Currently, the elected focal points who represent the International Youth Climate Movement are Lauren Nutter (U.S.A.), sponsored by SustainUS, and Jean Paul Brice Affana (Cameroon), sponsored by Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement. They follow 2010-2011 Focal Points, Sébastien Duyck (France), sponsored by Service Civil International and Rishikesh Ram Bhandary (Nepal), sponsored by SustainUS. [14]

Throughout the year, there are other opportunities for the members of the International Youth Climate Movement to convene. For example, at the International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change in Beijing, China [15]

In 2021 the health working group in the organization demanded the participation of youth climate activists in post COVID-19 pandemic recovery, as the pandemic is probably linked to climate change. [16]

Think 2050 Campaign

In 2009, the UK Youth Climate Coalition worked with the Youth Movement, in particular the European Youth Climate Movement and SustainUS to launch the "How old will you be in 2050?" campaign at the United Nations Climate negotiations taking place in Bonn, Germany. [17] The slogan has been used by the Youth Movement since then and was also the focus for the International Youth "Young and Future Generations Day" in December 2009. [18] The campaign seeks to emphasise the need to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 on 1990 levels, as young people will be the ones to inherit this world and decisions made today will have a direct impact on their lives in 40 years time. [1] [19]

Participation in writing an international report

In 2022, a team of scientists published a report called "Stockholm+50: Unlocking a Better Future", which analyzed the impact of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 and offered recommendations for the future. The key message is to "redefine the relationship between humans and nature, achieve lasting prosperity for all, and invest in a better future." In addition, youth researchers issued a youth version of the report: "Charting a Youth Vision for a Just and Sustainable Future". The key messages are: "Health well being and communal solidarity, living in harmony with nature, international solidarity-living as one global family, a world when all humans are equal." [20] The Youth Climate Movement (YOUNGO) and some of its members helped craft the report. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established an international environmental treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", in part by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. It was signed by 154 states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. Its original secretariat was in Geneva but relocated to Bonn in 1996. It entered into force on 21 March 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Shift (conference)</span>

Power Shift is an annual youth summit which has been held in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other Power Shift Conferences are also being organised by members of the International Youth Climate Movement including Africa, Japan and India. The focus of the events is on climate change policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference</span> International climate change conference in 2009

The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, was held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 and 18 December. The conference included the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 5th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. According to the Bali Road Map, a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 was to be agreed there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate Action Network</span> Global network of environmental NGOs

Climate Action Network - International (CAN) is a global network of over 1,300 environmental non-governmental organisations in over 130 countries working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Shift Network</span> Youth environmental justice organisation

Power Shift Network is a North American non-profit organization made up of a network of youth-led social and environmental justice organizations working together to build the youth clean energy and climate movement. It runs campaigns in the United States and Canada to build grassroots power and advocate for tangible changes on climate change and social justice at local, state, national and international levels in North America. The organization changed its name from Energy Action Coalition in July 2016 in order to reflect its new leadership and it shift from a coalition to a network structure. The Power Shift Network's members, which include other non-profit organizations and student groups focused on environmental justice, social justice, and climate change, focus their organizing and campaigns on campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics. The Power Shift Network is part of the Global Youth Climate Movement.

The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) is a youth organization in India that aims to raise the voice of Indian youth on the global platform, as South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by climate change and environmental issues. Further, IYCN is motivated by global need in the Indian context to adopt mitigation and adaptation policy measure to combat climate change. It is part of the International Youth Climate Movement, which has the same acronym of IYCM.

Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), formerly known as Women in Europe for a Common Future, is a non-governmental organization created in 1994 following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The aim of the organization is to "achieve an equitable and sustainable healthy environment for all". WECF is a network of more than 150 women's and environmental organizations in 50 countries worldwide. WECF also works on national, European, UN and international political levels with the aim to increase women's influence in political decision-making processes.

The UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC) is a non-profit youth organisation in the United Kingdom. It is part of The Climate Coalition in the UK

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Youth Climate Coalition</span> Coalition of youth organisations

The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC) is a nonprofit youth organisation in Canada. The coalition consists of various youth organisations, which includes the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Labour Congress, Sierra Youth Coalition, and others. The charity aims to prioritize climate change as a societal issue. Internationally, the coalition is part of the Global Youth Climate Movement.

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is a youth organisation in Australia. When the organisation first began, the coalition consisted of 25 other youth organisations, which included the National Union of Students amongst many, however it is now an independent organisation. The organisation aims "to build a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis". They state that this is achieved through empowering and education, running strategic campaigns that win, shifting the narrative, and building a movement. AYCC works closely with Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Friends of the Earth</span>

Young Friends of the Earth Europe (YFoEE) is a grassroots network of young people and youth organisations working together on social and environmental justice issues. It works collectively on the local, national and European level, to inspire young people, organise actions and events and get attention in the media, in politics and among the general public on issues important to young people.

Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) is the European branch of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). It includes 33 national organizations and thousands of local groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference</span> International climate change conference in Durban, South Africa in November–December 2011

The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) was held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 11 December 2011 to establish a new treaty to limit carbon emissions.

Anna Rose is an Australian author, activist and environmentalist. She co-founded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) in late 2006 with Amanda McKenzie. In 2012 she co-starred in an ABC documentary, I Can Change Your Mind on Climate Change and released her first full-length book, Madlands: A Journey to Change the Mind of a Climate Sceptic. Rose is the founder and CEO of Environment Leadership Australia, a not-for-profit, non-partisan organisation championing community and political leadership on climate change. She sits on the Board of Directors of Farmers for Climate Action, is a Governor of WWF-Australia, an advisory board member for Australian Geographic Society, and a former Myer Foundation Innovation Fellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference</span> Diplomatic summit concerning greenhouse gas emissions effects; COP19

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP19 or CMP9 was held in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 23 November 2013. This is the 19th yearly session of the Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 9th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The conference delegates continue the negotiations towards a global climate agreement. UNFCCC's Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and Poland's Minister of the Environment Marcin Korolec led the negotiations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Climate Change conference</span> Yearly conference held for climate change treaty negotiations

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties – the Conference of the Parties (COP) – to assess progress in dealing with climate change, and beginning in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Starting in 2005 the conferences have also served as the "Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol" (CMP); also parties to the convention that are not parties to the protocol can participate in protocol-related meetings as observers. From 2011 to 2015 the meetings were used to negotiate the Paris Agreement as part of the Durban platform, which created a general path towards climate action. Any final text of a COP must be agreed by consensus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate movement</span> Nongovernmental organizations engaged in climate activism

The climate movement is a global social movement focused on pressuring governments and industry to take action addressing the causes and impacts of climate change. Environmental non-profit organizations have engaged in significant climate activism since the late 1980s and early 1990s, as they sought to influence the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Climate activism has become increasingly prominent over time, gaining significant momentum during the 2009 Copenhagen Summit and particularly following the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference</span> Diplomatic summit concerning greenhouse gas emissions effects

The 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference was an international meeting of political leaders and activists to discuss environmental issues. It was held in Marrakech, Morocco, on 7–18 November 2016. The conference incorporated the twenty-second Conference of the Parties (COP22), the twelfth meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP12), and the first meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1). The purpose of the conference was to discuss and implement plans about combatting climate change and to "[demonstrate] to the world that the implementation of the Paris Agreement is underway". Participants work together to come up with global solutions to climate change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action for Climate Empowerment</span>

Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) is a term adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It refers to Article 6 of the Convention's original text (1992), focusing on six priority areas: education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation on these issues. The implementation of all six areas has been identified as the pivotal factor for everyone to understand and participate in solving the complex challenges presented by climate change. The importance of ACE is reflected in other international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals ; the Global Action Programme for Education for Sustainable Development ; the Aarhus Convention (2011); the Escazú Agreement (2018) and the Bali Guidelines (2010).

Climate Live is a youth led climate education movement which organises a series of international concerts hosted every year in over 60+ countries. The concert series was developed by Fridays for Future organisers. Climate Live launched on April 24 with performances by notable artists including Declan McKenna, Milky Chance, Helen Sjöholm, Lia Pappas-Kemps, Lina Mirai, and Oscar Stembridge, as well as supporting messages from Any Gabrielly and Gretchen.

References

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