YOUTH @ COP15

United Nations Climate Negotiations

Copenhagen
December 2009

THE MOVEMENT’S
COMING OF AGE
“Our answer is the world's hope – it is to rely on youth. The cruelties and the
obstacles of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to obsolete dogmas and
outworn slogans. It cannot be moved by those who cling to a present which is
already dying, who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement and danger
which comes with even the most peaceful progress.”

This world demands the qualities of youth – not a time of life but a state of mind:
a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over
timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.”

Robert F. Kennedy, “Day of Affirmation”

Cape Town, South Africa, 6 June 1966

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SECTIONS:
P4 - Climate Change: Youth Participation P18 - Youth and Future Generations Day
and Empowerment P20 - Youth Arcade @ COP15
P5 - The Ladder of Youth Participation P22 - Youth Policy - participation in
P6 - YOUNGO constituency at the UNFCCC government delegations
P7 - Youth @ COP15 P23 - Youth Policy - working groups and
P8 - Benefits of youth collaboration at the interventions
UNFCCC talks: dual outcomes P24 - Youth influencing national politics,
P10 - Youth are globally conscious policy briefings
- north-south connections, regional P26 - Youth Media
coordination, Global south youth P27 - Artspace
P12 - Bilateral Partnerships P28 - Inspiring the Movement: 2010 Initiatives
P13 - Feature: USA-China youth P30 - Conclusion
P14 - COY5 - Conference of Youth
If you are viewing this report as a PDF, click on hyperlinks and ‘multimedia corners’ throughout to reach
youth climate websites and youth-produced multimedia materials. See more at www.youthclimate.org

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CLIMATE CHANGE: YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Climate change is the issue which will define the
generation of today’s youth. Youth understand that
climate change is not only an environmental issue
but also one of social justice, industrial and economic
reform, women’s rights, poverty and development,
trade and commerce, and indigenous rights.
As stakeholders – those who will be the most affected
by climate change – youth have a right to fully and
effectively participate in political decisions being
made today. Today’s decisions must treat future
generations with equal regard to present generations,
to satisfy the principle of intergenerational equity.
“We did not inherit the earth from
our ancestors, we borrowed it from
our grandchildren.”
Native American Proverb
Youth participation should not be seen as a burden
on decision-makers, but instead as a wise and
necessary choice for creating quality, durable policy.
Youth are the present and future ‘implementers’
of today’s decisions – ignoring youth input today
may lead to decisions which youth are unwilling to
implement in coming years and decades.
As implementers, youth must also be empowered,
developing the skills, networks and knowledge
required to create sustainable transformation in our
communities and our world.
“No decisions about us, without us!”
Various social and structural tendencies in decision-
making mean that youth are often left out of
decisions about their future. Youth voices may be
tokenised or ignored by government and the media,
due to a perceived lack of experience. Youth may
not have a vote, a say, or the opportunity to become
decision-makers in their government, economic
and social systems. Thus, children and youth are a
marginalised, ‘minority’ group, despite under-28’s
comprising half the world’s population.
However, history shows that, when great systemic
change is required, youth have been key in
imagining, embracing and creating that change.
Youth have fewer ties to the past and are more open
to future possibilities. They will carry their formative
ideals and experiences throughout their adult lifetime.
Youth are the best vehicle for creating change.
Youth participation and empowerment in addressing
the climate crisis should, therefore, not be
discounted and de-prioritised, but instead invested in
and supported.
INFO CORNER:
Civil Society participation is recognised as providing
both expertise and transparency to governmental
decision-making processes like the UN climate talks.
The following references discuss the right of civil
society and youth to participate in UN processes:
• Agenda 21 of the 1992 Rio Declaration. Sections
10.3, 25.2, 25.4, 25.7
• Article 16 of the recently adopted resolution
of the UN General Assembly on Policies and
Programmes involving Youth.
• The Aarhus Convention (1998)
• European Youth Forum (YFJ)
Guide for youth NGOs at UN Meetings
4
AND EMPOWERMENT
ASSESSING YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Youth participation in decision-making on climate change can be seen in the context of a ‘Ladder of Participation’:
are youth merely informed about the decision-making process; are they consulted with someone else making the
ultimate decisions, or are youth deeply involved in and sharing the decision-making?

‘Youth Participation’ is often thought to be

fulfilled when lower forms of participation such
as access and informing occur.

In 2009, youth participation in governmental

and international negotiations moved a num-
ber of steps up the ladder, as described in this
report. Youth also moved up the participation
ladder within civil society, by developing inde-
pendent campaigns and partnerships with non-
youth organisations in education, campaigning
and implementation of climate solutions.

However, moving further up the ladder of

participation requires further transformation of
decision-making processes, and while progress
was made in 2009, there is much further to go
in 2010 and beyond. Youth-led organisations
and regional collaborations are pushing con-
tinuously for further improvement, towards full
and effective youth participation at all levels.

© 2008 Adam Fletcher on behalf of The Freechild Project.

The ideal participatory model includes not only
See a full description at www.freechild.org/ladder.htm
youth, but all marginalised stakeholders – in-
digenous people, women, the poor and the un-
der-educated. Agenda 21, UN Earth Summit
Programme of Action from Rio 1992

Item 25.2: “It is imperative that youth from all

parts of the world participate actively in all rele-
vant levels of decision-making processes because
it affects their lives today and has implications for
their futures. In addition to their intellectual con-
tribution and their ability to mobilise support, they
bring unique perspectives that need to be taken
into account.”

Item 25.4: “Each country should, in consultation

with its youth communities, establish a process
to promote dialogue between the youth commu-
nity and Government at all levels and to establish
mechanisms that permit youth access to informa-
tion and provide them with the opportunity to pres-
ent their perspectives on government decisions .”

5
“YOUNGO” constituency at the UNFCCC
The United Nations process under the ‘Framework
Convention on Climate Change’ (UNFCCC) is the only
truly global government forum for negotiating humanity’s
shared solution to global warming. It is critical that
youth and children participate effectively in this forum, to
address the most important issue of our generation.
The UNFCCC was established in 1992. For 18 years
– the entire lifetime of the world’s 2 billion children –
the negotiations have attempted to bring all nations
together to ‘stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in
the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climate system.’
(Article 2, Objective of the UNFCCC)
In 2009, youth and children’s participation in the UNFCCC
process took a great step forwards. Although youth
have attended the UN climate negotiations for many
years, youth are now formally recognised as a legitimate
stakeholder group or ‘constituency’, whose voice should
be ‘at the table’. Known as YOUNGO (“Youth Non-
Governmental Organisations”), the constituency status
enabled youth to be acknowledged as an independent
stakeholder group at COP15 (the 15th “Conference of the
Parties” under the UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, December 2009.
UNFCCC CONSTITUENCIES:
• Business & Industry Non-Government Organisations (BINGO)
• Children and Youth (YOUNGO)
• Environmental Non-Government Organisations (ENGO)
• Farmers
• Indigenous People’s Organisations (IPOs)
• Local Government and Municipal Authorities (LGMA)
• Research & Independent Non-Government Organisations (RINGO)
• Trade Union Non-Government Organisations (TUNGOs)
• Women & Gender
‘YOUNGO’ history:
A youth constituency was first discussed at COP10 in
Buenos Aires, 2004. As youth participation grew, from less
than 50 youth to over 200 by 2007, and then to over 500
youth at COP14 in 2008, it was clear that a more constant,
more committed and more global youth climate network
was developing and growing rapidly.
This network of youth organisations prepared together for
COPs, and cooperated consistently throughout each year
by sharing strategies and ideas, independent of other NGO
networks. This independence demonstrated the need for a
separate constituency.
In 2009 the application was formally submitted to and
approved ‘on probation’ under the UNFCCC. A final
decision on constituency status will be made prior
to COP17 in 2011, based on the assessment of the
constituency’s work in relation to the UNFCCC process.
Coupled with generous financial support from the
Government of the Netherlands, facilitated by the UNFCCC
Secretariat, the YOUNGO constituency has increased not
only the legitimacy of youth participation in the UNFCCC
process, but has also increased numbers and global
representativeness of youth participation, as well as raising
the public profile of youth in media and in civil society.
Children in YOUNGO
The participation of child delegates at COP15 helped to
give a voice to the next generation of youth.
UNICEF’s climate programme supported 8 Child Climate
Ambassadors to participate at youth-led events, as well as
a panel debate with the Danish climate change minister,
climate rock concerts in Copenhagen, and in media press
conferences. Other under-18s from various groups also
worked within YOUNGO.
With no strict age-limit boundary between the two
age groups, there is a strong recognition that ‘youth’
– independent young adults – and ‘children’, who are
actively supported by adults and young adults, need to
work together.
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YOUTH @ COP15
Diversity in YOUNGO
Over 1500 youth from more than 130 countries
participated as part of YOUNGO at COP15. It was the
largest and most diverse group ever to attend a UNFCCC
session, indicating how rapidly the youth climate
movement has grown around the world in the last year.
Youth in YOUNGO come from diverse cultural, academic,
political and socioeconomic backgrounds. The constituent
youth groups and organisations use different tactics –
from peer-to-peer education, to political campaigning,
to civil disobedience, to diplomacy and government
negotiation, to implementing ground-level change in local
communities. They are motivated by diverse concerns,
from environment to poverty, economics or human rights.
Many youth come from advanced academic backgrounds,
with specialisations in international environmental law, the
Clean Development Mechanism or social change theory.
Many youth also come from communities experiencing
first-hand climate impacts, and still others are working on
climate issues full-time within their organisations. As such,
the passionate actions, protests and speeches of youth,
and their ambitious policy positions, are based upon a
deep understanding of the climate issue.
Despite the diversity of YOUNGO, youth are united, sharing
a common ambition, a common voice, and a common
enthusiasm to work together, and understand each other,
to solve the climate crisis.
YOUNGO activities @ COP15
The activities detailed in this report are as diverse as
the youth movement: negotiations with officials and
politicians; impassioned public statements in UN plenary
sessions; artistic actions, media stunts and protests;
blogging and new media; traditional media outreach;
training and capacity-building workshops; and global
coordination meetings.
Many YOUNGO activities at COP were made possible
by generous funding from the Government of the
Netherlands, an arrangement facilitated by the UNFCCC
Secretariat. These activities empowered youth, from more
regions than ever, to participate more effectively than ever
in the UNFCCC process, with a series of high-impact events.
YOUNGO has also received collaborative support from
“Growing together in a changing climate”, a joint initiative
of several UN agencies, whose goal is to facilitate more
coordinated and effective climate change initiatives for
children and youth in their countries, and to facilitate
a greater engagement of children and youth in inter-
governmental UN processes.
Sadly, many of these activities, as well as the participation
of youth in the conference overall, was negatively affected
by the exclusion of civil society from the final days of
the conference – of the 24,000 civil society members
registered for the conference, only 300 were permitted to
enter the conference centre on the final days, with only 12
of these being youth.
COP15 Youth Press Conference
7
benefits of youth collaboration
at the UNFCCC talks: dual outcomes
The YOUNGO community consists of youth brought together by the UN process.
However, their collaboration at UNFCCC talks produces results which benefit both
the UNFCCC process and, equally importantly, the youth climate movement outside of the UN.

Benefits within the UNFCCC process

Youth provide a clear, constant moral reminder to
government delegates at UNFCCC talks of the importance
of their decisions for youth and future generations.

Youth participation and campaigns, such as the 2009 ‘How

old will you be in 2050?’ campaign, have resulted in a
renewed appreciation of intergenerational equity within
UNFCCC negotiations. This principle is at the core of youth
engagement on climate change.

‘Intergenerational equity’ has been a principle of the UN

climate negotiations since 1992, but after nearly two
decades of talks, the principle had become buried in dense
policy and politics. By returning attention to this principle
in 2009, youth provided a clear standard against which the
UNFCCC negotiations can be assessed – do the outcomes
safeguard the rights of future generations?

YOUNGO also benefit the UNFCCC process through their
actions and policy work demonstrating solidarity with
Small Island Developing States and the most climate-
vulnerable nations. These nations and youth share a
common vulnerability, and thus, similar policy positions.
Vulnerable countries also tend to have small, under-
resourced UN delegations, and therefore benefit directly
from youth cooperation.
Youth influence the text of the negotiations via official
participation on government delegations, policy
submissions, and by developing relationships and
influence with national negotiators. (See page 22-26.)
Michael Zammit Cutajar, 2009 Chair of the UNFCCC’s AWG-LCA
negotiations, wears a youth ‘How Old Will You Be in 2050?’ T-shirt,
and refers to his grandchildren as the plenary session begins.
He will be 110 in 2050.
“The youthful, positive face of YOUNGO provides
hope to other young people, broader society and
negotiators. The unity of YOUNGO and the trust within
the constituency projects onto outsiders. Talking with
youth gives you a sense of hope and optimism that
does not happen when you talk to old fogies.”

“It is good for negotiators to step back and be Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC
reminded what they are doing here.
Your role is very important here.”

Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

Why 2050?
2050 is a reference year for climate science and politics. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that if we wish to avoid catastrophic global
warming, global carbon emissions must decrease by at least 80% by 2050.

If we achieve this, the 2050 world will be starkly different, but far more secure, than
it is today. Today’s youth, now just beginning their working lives, will work for
the next 40 years de-carbonising society. They will likely retire in the 2050 decade.

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Benefits for the Youth Movement
The appeal of YOUNGO’s legitimate participation in the
highest-level international forum on climate change has
attracted and inspired many youth to become actively
involved in the international youth climate movement.
YOUNGO can serve as an entry-vehicle for youth to the
youth climate movement in their home nation and to a
career working for climate solutions.

Capacity Building, Learning:

Participating in YOUNGO expands the perspectives of
the individuals and groups that comprise it, by bringing
together youth from diverse backgrounds to share,
discuss and debate their interrelated experiences and
diverse political views.

YOUNGO provides individuals and groups with

intensive, practical experience to builds capacities in:
policy development, cross-cultural communication and
understanding, volunteer management, leadership,
networking, media, new media, event management,
negotiation, lobbying, activism and campaigning,
to name just a few.

Far more powerful than capacity building via formal

education or training courses, YOUNGO’s non-formal
education approach empowers young people by providing
them the opportunity to discover the extent of their own
capacities and to develop new skills, while contributing
meaningfully to positive social and political change.

Participation in YOUNGO, therefore, provides youth with

the capacities and confidence necessary for effective
leadership and responsible citizenship. Young, empowered
leaders and global citizens take these new capacities home
from COP and are now implementing this expertise in their
respective organisations. They will continue to do so as
climate leaders in the coming years and decades.

Connections and Networks:

Many strong international relationships are established
in the intensive, collaborative environment of YOUNGO
at UN conferences.

These relationships bring great benefits for the movement

beyond the UNFCCC process. For example, the Australian
Youth Climate Coalition (formed in late 2006) provided
advice and mentorship to youth they met at UNFCCC talks,
leading to the 2008 establishment of the Indian Youth
Climate Network and the UK Youth Climate Coalition.

The “Powershift” youth climate conference model has

spread from the United States to Australia, Britain, Canada
and India via the YOUNGO network. The youth-led 350.org
campaign utilised this network, among others, to spread
their transformational campaign to all corners of the world.

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YOUTH ARE GLOBALLY CONSCIOUS
For an issue like global climate change, the world needs solutions that transcend national borders.
Today’s youth climate movement – part of the world’s first generation that is globally connected
by the internet – are breaking down long-standing cultural and political boundaries.
Regional preparations for COP15:
Prior to COP15, a modest program of regional
consultations and preparation projects were carried
out by regional networks, with the support of the
Government of the Netherlands and other funders.
These workshops aided in identifying regional priorities,
enhancing preparations for COP15, and fostering greater
understanding and rapport among youth networks.
Regional preparation events occurred in Nepal, Sweden,
Senegal, China, Copenhagen and even via the internet
for the ‘Mass Dialogues’ project, which virtually gathered
youth groups from a range of different English and French-
speaking countries. These activities built strong regional
connections and greatly enhanced effectiveness of youth
from these regions.
It has been widely recommended that such regional
preparation and consultation events occur again in 2010,
but on a much larger scale and in more regions.
Regional coordination in 2010:
It is expected that number of youth participating in COP16,
from most regions of the world except the Americas, will
be lower than at COP15. This is largely due to the expense
and carbon footprint of travelling to Mexico.
A program of well-connected regional meetings,
consultations and preparations will thus be highly
beneficial. It will build capacity and share perspectives
between youth who cannot attend COP16, and to bring
their views to the negotiations. Work is underway to
establish such global coordination in 2010, and youth are
seeking support to enable these activities.
North-South connections
Regional meetings planned for 2010 are seeking partners
to further enhance their impact. Planned meetings include:
• The second South Asian Youth Summit on Climate Change
• The International Youth Summit on Energy and
Climate Change in China
• Climate change forums in each sub region of Africa, by
the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change.
• Latin American youth conferences in the lead-up to
COP16 in Mexico. The first is in Bolivia in April, hosted
by 350.org, Reaccion Climatica and 350 Peru, building
from the COP15 Latin American youth declaration.
• North American youth will gather around the G8/G20
meeting in Toronto in July
• The European Youth Climate Movement (EYCM),
the European Youth Forum (YFJ) and Young Friends
of the Earth Europe (YFoEE) are facilitating European
discussion, exchange and learning.
• YFJ has initiated a COP16 Europe-Latin America
preparation meeting as part of the 11th University of
Youth & Development in Spain this September.
South-East Asian, Eastern European, Russian and Arab
Region youth climate networks are in their early stages,
but are already succeeding in raising climate awareness
and influencing government.
With further support, training and partnerships, these
networks could become powerful forces for positive
change, especially in oil-rich or former Soviet Union
nations, which tend to have low or even backwards
political will within global climate negotiations.
10
Global South Youth
Almost 85% of the world’s youth aged 15-24 live in
developing nations. Children and youth are the least
responsible for causing climate change and yet are
suffering, and will suffer, the worst effects. A global youth
movement dominated by youth voices from developed,
global north nations doesn’t make sense.
Prior to COP15, the vast majority of youth representatives
to UNFCCC sessions came from the Global North, largely
self-financed or backed by local sponsorship. Youth
participation from developing nations is constrained
primarily by a lack of funding. In 2009, youth from all over the
world worked hard to rectify the imbalance by ensuring that
funds were available to support global south youth participation.
Funding provided by the Government of the Netherlands
enabled 50 youth from the Global South to attend COP15.
Additional funding from bilateral north-south youth
partnerships, and direct fund-raising by global south youth
organisations, enabled hundreds of global south youth to
participate. Beneficiaries were selected using a process
designed to be democratic and representative, to be
further developed for future funding opportunities.
While this still did not result in balanced global
participation, it was a it was significant step forwards.
For example, only four African youth participated in the
negotiations in 2008, while more than 40 attended in 2009.
Youth seek support to make further improvements in
future years.
Global south youth join the historic December 12 rally of 100,000 people in Copenhagen
“While there is a lot further to go, YOUNGO did a
wonderful job to bridge the gap between the
Global North and the South. It was a great
opportunity for everyone to learn from each other.”
African youth delegate, 24 years old
The contribution of global south youth to YOUNGO was
outstanding and was celebrated by the whole youth
community. Global south youth were strong and passionate
representatives in the media, in youth organising, and in
interactions with governments and broader civil society.
The experience of global south youth at UNFCCC
sessions and within YOUNGO greatly strengthens southern
youth movements on their return home.
Supporting global south youth participation in YOUNGO
also benefits northern youth movements. All members of
the youth community, promoting climate change solutions,
require a strong north-south understanding in their work.
It is vital to ensuring that proposed solutions are culturally
appropriate and equitable.
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BILATERAL PARTNERSHIPS
In 2009, north-south youth partnerships both enabled southern participation and enhanced global
understanding and unity within the climate movement. In 2010, the number and scope of such partnerships are
expanding, building on past successes and learnings. Here are just a few examples of youth partnerships:
• The European Youth Forum (YFJ) administered the
grant from the Netherlands government to support the
COP attendance of 50 global south youth.
• The African Youth Initiative on Climate Change – Kenya
(AYICC-K) jointly ran social activities in Copenhagen
with the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC) whose
delegation provided financial support via grassroots
fund-raising. In 2010 exchange programs and mutual
campaigns are planned, for example the Kenya Climate
Road Show in which UK youth will take part.
• The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC)
established Project Survival Pacific (PSP) in early
2009. PSP places Australian youth on exchange
in the Pacific, supports Pacific youth voices to be
heard in Australia, and supports the establishment
of independent youth networks in vulnerable island
nations. PSP sent 11 Pacific youth to COP.
• Latin American and Caribbean youth were supported
by a fund-raising partnership initiated by SustainUS
with further contributions from Will Steger Foundation
youth delegates, the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition,
and 350.org. This partnership is set to be continued
and expanded in 2010.
• SustainUS, the China Youth Climate Action Network
(CYCAN), and the Indian Youth Climate Network
(IYCN) – from a trio of nations embodying the
tension of global climate negotiations – developed
strong relationships during 2009. They issued a
joint statement in June, and collaborated extensively,
contributing to each other’s projects throughout 2009.
• Youth groups in China and the US came together to
host ‘Our Shared Future’, featured on page 13. Groups
included: AIESEC China; Beijing University CDM Club;
CYCAN (China Youth Climate Action Network); Focus
the Nation, Golden Bridges, SustainUS, Tsinghua
Green Student Association, Will Steger Foundation
(USA).
• The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) is working
with Maldivian Youth For Climate Action in a south-
south partnership in 2010, supporting youth voices
from the low-lying nation, to shift politics in India.
All of these activities are important and commendable
efforts in uniting the youth movement across borders, to
develop an equitable and just global movement. However,
youth acknowledge that balanced regional participation
requires significant further effort and investment.
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FEATURE: USA-CHINA
“Our Shared Future!”
Our Shared Principles:
AMBITION:
“Neither the US nor Chinese government has ambitious Section 1: “你 好 and Hello! Introductions.”
enough climate policies. We the youth of both nations
are demonstrating real ambition to our governments.”
COMPETITION:
“Both of our nations are headstrong, driven by results,
and have strong national pride. Chinese and American
youth want to harness this competitive spirit in a great
clean-energy race.”
TRUST:
“There is a sincere lack of trust between US and Chi-
nese governments, evidenced by the political fall-out of
COP15. But as the first truly globally-connected genera-
tion, the youth of today do trust each other. We can
demonstrate trust and understanding and inspire our
governments to move forward in the same spirit.”
“Youth from China and the USA understand: the
relationship between our nations will define the next
century of global politics. We both wanted to take
the opportunity of being together at Copenhagen to
connect, and come up with a vision for the shared
future that we will be co-creating.
So we booked a venue, ordered Chinese take-out,
got 50 Chinese youth and 50 American youth, and
we started to get to know each other.
As our generation grows older, we youth will be the
diplomats and decision-makers of our nations.
Our shared principles will be the defining principles
of the US-China relationship for the next 50 years.
We will move forward together, towards a clean
energy economy and a safe climate future.”
SustainUS delegate, 20 years old
• The event was covered by the Wall St Journal, China
Daily News, by innumerable blogs, by Al Gore in his
keynote speech, and afterwards in a US-China youth
press conference.
• The COP15 China Youth delegation was named by
China SOHU as one of 10 Most Significant Civil
Society Actions in China for 2009.
• GreenLeapForward.com
Discussion program
What is it like being a youth activist in your country?
How do you view your government? How they view you?
What strategies do you use for improving national policy?
Are your parents worried you’ll be arrested in protests?
How did you afford your travel to COP?
Are you skipping classes to be here?
“Everyone loved sharing their stories. We were laughing
together, it was a great, everyone wanted to keep talking!
So we scrapped the schedule and just kept going!”
Section 2: “Our policy goals: where do they overlap?”
What do you think of ‘clean coal’? Nuclear power?
What about CDM and REDD?
Is coal a part of your energy future?
Should or should not China commit to MRV?
Should the US take on emission reduction targets
if China doesn’t do the same?
“This was the sort of informal and honest discussion
that the US Special Envoy for climate change is not
allowed to have with the Chinese climate ambassador.
Of course there was some policy disagreement between
our delegations, but we had established such good
relationships that we could say ‘I see where you are
coming from, and I know that we are both working for
the same sustainable, clean-energy future, so I want to
work with you to overcome these differences.”
Outcomes – 2010 collaborations:
• Co-authoring opinion pieces in both countries
• Youth climate exchange programs
• Documenting climate solutions across the Pacific
• Great Power Race (with 350.org): A carbon-reduction
competition between Chinese & US university campuses.
“This was the first time I really understood the power
of the youth climate movement. Despite vastly different
government systems, youth in both countries are
building political power in culturally-appropriate ways.
This event was my ‘we’re all in this together’ moment.”
13
CONFERENCE OF YOUTH
Since COP11 (2005, Montreal), youth delegates
have been gathering prior to the official negotiations
for the ‘COY’, or ‘Conference of Youth’. The two-
day COY focuses on capacity-building through
workshops, collective discussions, networking, and
thought-provoking keynote speakers. It provides
orientation to youth new to the UNFCCC process
and YOUNGO, and is a space for strategising and
organising shared youth initiatives.
COY5 played a major role in drafting the youth
agenda for the COP15. Youth discussed, debated and
coordinated policy positions, and established greater
understanding and stronger friendships between
youth communities around the world. Over 700
youth, from over 100 countries, attended. Many youth
organisations presented their projects and swapped
advice and support with others. Youth established
communication mechanisms at COY for the duration
of COP15 – meetings, announcement boards,
email systems, and even an innovative mass instant-
messaging system, which enabled youth to respond
quickly to developments in negotiations.
COY is organised and run by an open team of
dedicated international youth volunteers. The
willingness of the Government of the Netherlands to
invest in youth helped to make COY5 a great success.
“I learned how to stay focused on why we are here.
We are building a very diverse movement.
At the Conference of Youth I met young people from
other countries with some perspectives I
never thought about before.”
Japan Youth Eco-League, 28 years old
“COP15 was one of the best experiences
of my life. I arrived in Copenhagen
knowing absolutely nobody. I was
terrified going to COY5 but immediately
made several friends and great
connections from all over the world,
because of how conducive the activities
at COY5 were to meeting people. This
provided me with so many opportunities
just to learn about different aspects of
climate change. The workshops at COY5
were very informative.
Being involved in YOUNGO has made me
realise that climate change is something
we will be dealing with for our
whole lives. Had I not been involved
with YOUNGO, I would have missed
out on many opportunities, and
undoubtedly would have had a less
enriching experience.”
Australian National University,
International Relations
& Chinese Studies
21 years old
14
15
CONFERENCE OF YOUTH

Multimedia from COY5

• A message from youth at COY: Lower your emissions, raise your voice!
• Marie Tamoifo Nkom from Cameroon at COY (Francais)
• COY video-blog from the Will Steger foundation, Mid-West USA
• COY ‘energy wave’ group photo, AYCC
• Kumi Naidoo’s keynote speech: Part 1, Part 2. Kumi Naidoo has been a leading voice for civil rights and democracy
in South Africa and Zimbabwe all his life, beginning in his youth. He is now the Executive Director of Greenpeace
International and Chair of the ‘TckTckTck’ Global Campaign for Climate Action.

“We can, we must and we will solve climate change.” - Kumi Naidoo

16
 Capacity Building
COY is the main capacity-building project of YOUNGO,
and is the annual highlight of the international youth
climate movement’s calendar. However, YOUNGO needs
continuous capacity building for new and experienced
members, throughout the year.
“We’re fighting for our very survival.
Capacity building is usually undertaken by national
Science says that survival equals 350ppm. organisations rather than at an international level, however
That means we need action now. as the benefits of international collaboration are more
Not next year, now.” widely understood, there are greater efforts to increase
low-carbon opportunities for cross-border networking and
capacity building, outside of the COY.
Ethiopia, 24 years old
To extend the capacity-building of COY throughout COP15,
a ‘Community Catalyst’ staff member was hired, also made
possible by the funding provided by the Dutch government.
Their role was to orient first-time participants to the
UNFCCC process as they arrived, and to facilitate synergies
across the youth movement by connecting organisations
sharing similar goals. Many first-time participants noted
COY5 Wo this role was instrumental to their positive
Goal 1 - “
To build tr rkshops... experience at COP15.
u
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· Diversity : blogging
in the clim · Tradition , video, p
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ate ferences, s
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COP + YO onal Spea Español,
· Utilising UNGO kers – yo F
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· What is OP effecti mpaign society le
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er climate C OP15 & in · Art & Ac c tices (fo
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er unities )

“Our destiny will not be written for us,

it will be written by us.”

Australian Youth Climate

Coalition, 26 years old
17
YOUTH AND FUTURE GENERATIONS DAY

Youth and future generations will feel the consequences of the

decisions made in Copenhagen, and in the coming years of the
UNFCCC. However, too often, youth are unable to participate
fully in such decision-making processes. Youth and Future
Generations Day aimed to address this by bringing the role,
needs and desires of children and youth, and the principles of
‘intergenerational equity’ and ‘intergenerational implementation’
to the attention of decision-makers present at COP15.

‘YoFuGe Day’ provided a powerful showcase of youth work

around the world. All youth organisations had a chance to
contribute to the fourteen hours of youth activities within the
conference center. Each activity focused on different aspects:
education, intergenerational equity, children, the international
youth forests movement, the role of women and girls, and more.

The youth energy was contagious, and the day packed with
activity – youth press conferences, media interviews, official
side events, ‘mini’ side events, and lobbying meetings with
governments. Visual art highlighting youth engagement on
climate change appeared throughout the conference centre.

Highlights of the Day

A FLOOD OF ORANGE
A flood of vibrant, bright orange, carbon-neutral
T-shirts throughout the conference centre made
youth’s presence and unity known by all. Orange
is the national colour of the Netherlands and is
representative of the energy, passion and vibrancy of
the international youth climate movement.
CO2-neutral orange scarves with the youth rallying
cry “Survival is not negotiable” were distributed to
negotiators, in exchange for a verbal commitment
that they would actively work to ensure the survival
of all nations - including the most vulnerable - for this
and future generations. One government delegate,
when leaving the conference after the final day’s failed
plenary sessions, saw some young people in their
orange T-shirts, and held up their scarf, saying, “This
is not over yet. Survival is not negotiable!”
IMAGE: Ruchi Jain, 23, from India, addresses
the Intergenerational Inquiry on Climate Solutions
Intergenerational inquiry
on climate solutions (See webcast)
At COP14, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer,
scientists, representatives of UN agencies, negotiators, and
young people from around the world were called to ‘testify’
before the first ‘Intergenerational Inquiry’. At the COP15
Inquiry, speakers testified on how their actions contribute
to a collective solution to climate challenges, and what they
see as important prerequisites in reaching an effective post-
2012 agreement.
Youth spoke as equals alongside negotiators and leaders in
the climate change movement.
• Ms. Ruchi Jain, youth representative, India
• Mr. Thomas Spencer, youth representative, Australia
• Mr. Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC Executive Secretary
• H.E. Mohammed Aslam, Minister for Environment, Maldives
• Ms. Alicia Montalvo Santamaría, Director General,
Ministry of Environment, Climate Office, Spain
• Mr. Adrian Fernandez, President, National Institute of
Ecology, Mexico
• Ms. Bridgette Cindy Makhubedi, UNICEF Children’s
Climate Change Ambassador, South Africa
18
YOUTH-LED SIDE EVENTS
Youth organisations held official side-events for
delegates, media and civil society, presenting their work
and recommendations. Side-events included:
‘Intergenerational Equity’, hosted by the European
Youth Forum (YFJ) and the European Federation of
Young Greens (FYEG). Tracy Bach, a legal scholar,
introduced the principle’s legal framework. Official Youth
Delegates (see page 22) demonstrated the need to
involve young people at all levels of implementation and
decision-making. Margareta Auken, a Swedish Member
of European Parliament stated that young people should
engage themselves directly in politics, as powerful agents
of change.
‘Girls and Young Women Leading Change’, presented
by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS). Young women delegates from Kenya and
the USA recounted their personal non-formal education
experiences to showcase best practice on how to connect
with girls around the world; include them in decision-
making about their own future, and mobilise them to take
action to save our planet.
UNICEF Youth Ambassadors. A 17 year old youth
climate ambassador from Zambia described how the
ambassadors work in their communities to mitigate
the changing climate.
350ppm: The need for bold mitigation targets.
Youth-led 350.org presented the loud demands of global
civil society and science for the ambitious, and necessary,
global 350ppm emissions pathway.
The role of education in relation to the climate crisis.
Service Civil International (SCI) led an discussion between
expert actors in education for sustainable development,
addressing the past and future contribution of education to
behavioral changes, mitigation and adaptation.
Youth, forest protection and survival. SustainUS
brought together youth from around the world who are
leading forest protection and education initiatives, and how
this relates to the REDD climate negotiations.
“Young people around the world don’t
blame the older... this is a question of political
will and young and old working together.”
19
 YOUTH AND FUTURE GENERATIONS DAY

Youth Arcade

The “Youth Arcade”, comprised of 15 youth-

related booths in the COP15 exhibition and
entrance hall, was a place for all actors in
the youth movement to display their success
stories, identify synergies and develop new
partnerships.

Eight ‘Mini side-events’ were run on Youth

and Future Generations Day, and four on
every other day throughout the conference,
in this shared and open space curated by
youth. The mini side-events ranged from
stories told by UNICEF’s child delegates, to
cultural performances by the African Youth
Initiative on Climate Change; from games and
multimedia presentations with the Girl Guides
and Scouts, to reports and carbon footprinting
tools created by youth-led NGOs.

COP15 was the first time that a themed

‘arcade’ had been set up by any group in the
NGO exhibition space at a UNFCCC meeting.
Youth collaborated strongly with the UNFCCC
Secretariat to make it happen within UNFCCC
rules. It was a vibrant meeting, working and
presentation space, adding colour, excitement
and inspiration to the otherwise ‘official’
conference centre. The Youth Arcade brought
the relationship-building and shared learning
from COY right into the conference centre.
IMAGE: Ibrahim Ceesay, 24, and Ebrima Dem, 27, from The Gambia, perform
the youth-climate hip-hop song “Save the Earth”, at the YoFuGe Day 20
Reception. (Rap by Josh Solnick, 21, UK)
 Youth Reception
To conclude Youth and Future Generations Day,
youth hosted a reception where youth, govern-
mental delegates and UNFCCC officials were able
to mingle and exchange ideas informally.

From inspiring speeches and presentations to

climate hip-hop performances, the event built
camaraderie and unity amongst all who attended.

See more images from ‘YoFuGe Day’ from

IISD, WAGGGS or Robert van Waarden.

UN Youth booth:

Managed by the secretariat of

various UN agencies, the UN
youth booth provided a space
for participating agencies and
youth organisations to present
their youth-climate initiatives.

The booth featured the COP 15

‘Intergenerational Commitment
Book’ where Parties, UN officials,
intergovernmental and non-
governmental organisations and
the private sector were invited to
express their commitments to
improving youth participation in
addressing climate change.

Some 60 signatures collected

in the Book, include Rajendra
Pachauri, IPCC Chair; Achim
Steiner, Executive Director of
UNEP; John Kerry, U.S. Senator;
and Gro Harlem Brundtland,
UN Special Envoy on Climate
Change.

Commitments will be monitored

and the results presented at COP
16 in Mexico.
21
youth policy
Official Youth Delegates:
Participation in government delegations

In article 17 of the recently adopted resolution of the UN

General Assembly on Policies and Programmes involving
Youth, member states are urged:

“to consider including youth representatives in their

delegations at all relevant discussions in …
relevant United Nations conferences. ...
such youth representatives should be selected
through a transparent process that ensures that they
have a suitable mandate to represent
young people in their countries.”

The first Official Youth Delegates to the United Nations

were included at the General Assembly in New York in the
1970’s. At COP15, at least 25 countries, in Asia, Europe,
Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean, included politically
independent youth from civil society on their official
delegations.

Official Youth Delegates learn deeply about their

government processes and policies, but also have
opportunity to input the youth voice more directly to
the negotiations, through strong relationships with their
government delegation. For example, Gertie de Fraeye
from Belgium promoted the policy positions of European
youth within EU coordination meetings, and Swiss youth
delegate Sonja Astfalk officially negotiated for her nation in
the Contact Group on Capacity Building.

Official Youth Delegates formed a geographically diverse

team. Together they discussed politics, shared experiences
and developed ideas and strategy to ensure that the youth
perspective is directly present in the negotiations. When
civil society were excluded from the conference on the
final days, Official Youth Delegates could still enter the
conference centre with their government badges, enabling
youth voices to continue to be represented.
Experiences varied depending on how each government
structures its youth participation. European youth
delegates, mainly selected by National Youth Councils,
were more independent of their governments, with their
own agenda, acting as true ‘observers’ of the process.
However, with alignment between youth goals and the
goals of vulnerable nations, African youth delegates were
often more involved in the work of their delegation, as
government aides, similar to an internship experience.
INFO CORNER:
• The European Youth Forum and the Carribbean
Youth Environment Network facilitate youth
participation in government delegations from
their regions.
• The African Youth Initiative on Climate Change
is establishing a formal youth delegates program
• Youth in regions without a delegate program
can approach their government departments
directly, citing the UN resolutions referred to
above and on page 4, requesting participation
and access.

22
 Policy and Intervention
Working Groups:
Youth groups registered as observer organisations have
the right to submit their recommendations to the UNFCCC
negotiations’ formal consultation processes. In YOUNGO,
international working groups prepare such policy
recommendations on behalf of the whole constituency,
and also present united youth positions in statements
known as ‘interventions’ during negotiating sessions.
Youth call for ambitious and equitable policies – in
mitigation, adaptation, climate finance and forests –
informed by sound science, and in solidarity with those
who would suffer most from the impacts of unchecked
climate change – future generations, the most climate-
vulnerable nations, women, and indigenous peoples.
Youth can also offer specific expertise on areas of the
negotiations which specifically affect or involve youth:
youth implementation of climate adaptation, capacity
building for youth and young women, design of youth
participation processes, and incorporating climate and
sustainability into school curricula.
By lobbying for specific language in negotiating text,
youth can influence the outcome of the negotiations. If
such text becomes UN-agreed language, youth can later
use these resolutions to lobby for national policy change,
or for establishment of relevant government program.
IMAGE: Dessima Williams, Chair of the Alliance Of Small Island States
and climate Ambassador from Grenada speaks to media, supported by
youth. She attended the UNFCCC negotiations in 1995 as a youth del-
egate campaigning for sustainable development and women’s rights.
SPOTLIGHT:
Youth Forests Working Group
Many members of YOUNGO identified participation
in this Forest policy sub-group as the highlight of
their involvement with YOUNGO.
The Group had strong ties with non-youth forest-
focused NGOs, and conducted daily media stunts in
response to developments in the LULUCF and REDD
negotiation areas, which they closely tracked.
They ran multiple capacity-building and strategy
workshops at COY, lobbied governments, and
performed frequent media interviews, explaining
complex forest policy in plain language to the
general public. They marched together with local
Danish Forest NGOs in the historic 100,000 strong
December 12 rally through Copenahgen.
MULTIMEDIA: Youth speak!
• Juan Carlos (23, Peru) on the final day of the
conference. The hall is empty because of strict
security provisions excluding civil society
from the conference.
• Moey Newbold (20, USA) speaks on behalf of
the youth constituency on climate adaptation
during the negotiations.
• Amira Karim (24, Singapore) presents youth
positions calling for a democratic and
ambitious negotiation process, after political
controversies during the first week of COP15.
• Press Conference Webcast, outlining the
policy demands of youth and the declaration
of the international youth climate movement.
• Civil society submissions to the UNFCCC
process, by youth and all other observers, can
be found here.
23
 Youth policy
“Youth should not be disappointed if they
were unable to influence the outcome of the
negotiations ‘on site’ at COP15. Negotiators
come to COPs with fixed instructions from
national capitals, with little leeway to deviate.
It is before the COP and in the national capitals
when and where ‘influence’ work should be.”
Influencing national politics
The United Nations, based on consensus, can not
impose necessary policies to solve climate change on
nations who don’t support those policies. The political
conditions in each stakeholder nation must be right.
Thus, while youth work improving negotiating text
during a COP is an important strategy for change, it’s
potential is limited by political conditions.
To create the needed large-scale political shifts to solve
climate change, youth must also influence public opinion
and their national governments, to ensure that youth and
future generations’ interests are protected.
“You can do a lot here in Copenhagen but
you can do so much more when you
get home ... Get involved and engage
your local politicians. Your lives extend
beyond their next election. It is the youth of
the world that’s going to change
all that we need to change.”
Dr Rajendra Pachauri
Chair of the IPCC
IMAGE: Amira Karim, 24, of Singapore, prepares to give an
intervention in UN plenary on behalf of Youth.
Participation at a COP often provides youth with a much
higher level of access to their own governments than
they are able to achieve at home. Governments – both
the negotiation teams and government ministers – are
obliged to meet with stakeholders when present at
UNFCCC meetings. In some cases, these meetings at
COP are the first opportunities for youth organisations
to establish relationships and gain legitimacy in the eyes
of their governments – relationships which are then
leveraged throughout the year domestically.
For example, the European Youth Climate Movement
hosted a successful youth roundtable to exchange views
with Environment Ministers from Ireland and Belgium,
the French Secretary of State and special envoys on
climate from the Netherlands and Finland.
When youth lobby politicians and governments, they
fill a different niche to the technical expertise that is
contributed by ‘adult’ civil society. Youth lobbying
instead is based on a moral voice. Youth demonstrate
unity, trust and cooperation, and encourage their nations
to do the same. They present their campaigns engaging
young people in their countries, and bring the demands
of youth directly to politicians.
24
youth policy

“YOUNGO has made climate change

more real, less about numbers and
more about future moral consequences
of failure. Most politicians are also
parents – we remind them that their
choices affect their children’s future.”

Briefings
The UNFCCC Secretariat hosted a series of youth
briefings during COP15 to facilitate dialogue between
youth and other influential actors in the negotiations:

• Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC

• Connie Hedegaard, Minister for Climate Change,
COP15 President (Denmark)
• Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General
• Juan Rafael Elvira, Secretary for Environment and
Natural Resources, COP16 President (Mexico)
• Michael Zammit Cutajar, AWG-LCA Chair
• John Ashe, AWG-KP Chair
• Ricardo Lagos, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary
General on Climate Change, former President of Chile

Senior officials shared their perceptions of the

negotiations and the role that youth should play within
them. Youth reciprocated by sharing their intentions,
concerns and questions. It was a great opportunity
for youth to access political leaders and to enhance
their understanding of political processes. Agendas
were jointly crafted by youth delegates, participating
dignitaries and the UNFCCC Secretariat. Briefings also
served as useful opportunities for attending media to
understand youth perspectives.

25
YOUTH MEDIA
Outreach
A youth communications working group, led by an
experienced youth Communications Coordinator, whose
role was enabled by support from the Government of
the Netherlands, worked throughout COP to ensure that
messages of global youth were consistently and powerfully
communicated via both traditional media and new, online
and social media.
This international communications team supported media
work being done by separate youth delegations in their
national languages.
The communications working group had four sub-teams:
• Press releases team – turning YOUNGO activities,
announcements and declarations into global
or regional media releases; working with youth
translators to develop multi-lingual releases;
developing relationships with journalists and bloggers.
• Press conferences team – arranging speakers and
media advisories, inviting and following up with journalists.
• Media capacity building - Developing training
materials and sessions – interview techniques, writing
press releases and advisories, developing messaging.
• Social media coordination – supporting outreach
through social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Youth Produced Media
In addition to the youth communications group, focusing
on traditional media, a pioneering group of young media
professionals – photographers, film-makers, journalists,
writers, bloggers, artists and musicians – took to making
the news themselves, and training others to do the same.
Most youth delegations had at least one ‘in house’
documentarian – producing photographs, blogs, and
videos – to communicate back to their home constituency.
The work of youth media professionals is a valuable source
of inspiration and motivation for the youth movement
across the world, to see the benefits of their work reflected
back to them. It has also been a crucial mechanism by
which the youth perspective can be accurately and directly
communicated to the public.
Young people have large social networks. Their families,
work colleagues, school-mates, and sporting or cultural
groups are all opportunities for targeted outreach. Youth-
produced media enables youth climate activists and
advocates to engage their social networks on terms that
appeal to these communities.
Plans are underway to create international youth-produced
climate media and art exhibitions, communicating climate
challenges and solutions in new ways, to new audiences.
MULTIMEDIA CORNER:
• Project Survival Media
• Youth climate photography
• Youth climate blog sites:
• YouthClimate.org – aggregated global blogs
• ItsGettingHotInHere.org – world’s 2nd
largest climate blog
• Climate Changes Art
26
artspace
Artspace
Youth at COP played a critical role in providing visual
images to the media via creative actions or ‘stunts’,
relating the negotiations to real-world climate impacts.
Many youth actions were captured by leading news
outlets, and the images circulated around the world.
“Without youth art, journalists at COP would
only be able to capture images of a sterile
conference centre and negotiators in suits!”
This creativity is becoming a signature of the growing
youth climate movement. From creative direct action
to dance flash-mobs, the youth climate movement has
embraced the rich potential of the arts to communicate
with inspiration and emotion. In the face of political
rhetoric and depressing news, the creative optimism of the
youth movement flourishes, inspiring others to action.
At COP15, a shared artspace, supported by funding from
the Government of the Netherlands, was established
outside the conference center, with a vast store of
cardboard, paint, fabric, wood and tools. By providing all
the necessary materials to create visuals, the Artspace
then served as a creating, meeting and rehearsal place
for all, open every day and night. This enabled Youth to
be “rapid responders” to new developments inside the
conference centre in unprecedented ways, and helping to
frame emerging media stories.
Art is an international language, able to bring people
together despite language barriers. Youth who used the
Artspace were empowered by co-creating art together
and it used to communicate youth messages to the
world. Workshops held in the Artspace provided youth
with ‘artivist’ skills which will be used again and again in
their home countries, in creative actions, campaigns and
education.
Shared, sustainable meals provided free of charge by the
local Copenhagen community occurred every night in
the Artspace, a valuable resource for youth on a budget,
particularly global south youth. The Artspace allowed
youth delegates from the conference to meet and work
with others from civil society events outside of the COP
like Klimaforum. In the Artspace, youth built both art and
relationships, discussing and connecting creatively across
cultures and across politics.
Puppeteers, painters, performers and prop-builders
from the Artspace contributed strongly to the historic
100,000-strong civil society march through Copenhagen
on December 12. Penguin costumes, giant puppets, boats
and more added an energetic, peaceful and determined
youth presence in the march.
“I think the Artspace is the most relaxing place
in Copenhagen. It’s the warmest place without
a heating system. You go home feeling good.”
African Youth Delegate
27
 Inspiring the moveme nt:
Returning home from the momentous, action-packed,
international-politics experience at a COP can feel
overwhelming – so many new ideas, so many new global
connections, and so much work still to do.
After a COP, youth are freshly inspired. They are busy
developing and implementing programs and campaigns,
following up bilaterally with government and civil society
connections, planning for the years ahead, and sharing
their learnings from COP with their local communities.
In addition to those activities already mentioned
throughout the report, here is a sample of youth initiatives
taking place in 2010.
New youth climate organisations
“The Philippine Youth Climate Movement started right
after COP, in January 2010. We already have over
1000 members and have reached 40,000 students
with our message by school visits. It would never
have happened if it weren’t for the International Youth
Climate Movement’s participation in the UNFCCC
meetings. I was so inspired, I talked to other youth
about how they did it in their home countries, and
now we have gotten started!
The youth movement at COP has inspired me to
move beyond awareness-raising campaigns, but
now into ‘solutions’ as well. Here in the Philippines,
we’ve decided to start our coalition by getting young
people to plant 1 million trees. We already have
pledges of over 200,000 trees to be planted next
week! I am speaking with the Philippines’ Department
of Education, Department of Agriculture and the
Department of Natural resources, working with them
to help the youth to implement climate solutions. We
want to make it a national practice for all students to
plant a tree when graduating from school.”
Philippino Youth Delegate, 23 years old
Political focus:
Youth movement leaders of today are the civil society,
government, business, and community leaders of
tomorrow. But how quickly will ‘tomorrow’ arrive?
After the lack of political leadership at COP15, a number
of youth organisations are beginning to discuss how to
support young people to enter political decision-making
positions in the next few years. To achieve climate justice,
global politics needs the new, globally-connected and
solutions-focused perspective of youth.
A new focus on youth-led solutions
After the failure of COP15, youth have declared that they
are will not wait for political leaders to lead the world
in solving the climate crisis. Now is the time for civil
society, and youth in particular, to be leaders themselves,
implementing local solutions and setting an example for
their governments and communities.
The Energy Action Coalition, leading the US youth
climate movement, is working to ‘define the decade’ with
community clean energy solutions and youth leadership.
Around the US, local groups will build hundreds of
local campaigns around clean energy development and
moving student campuses beyond coal. Their efforts will
demonstrate the viability of their ambitious but necessary
political demands and will build political support.
The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) has chosen a
similar path, with a focus on youth leadership to create
empowering local solutions in every state, city and town.
See India Climate Solutions and Green Solutions India.
Indian youth’s focus on solutions is also at the policy
level. The nation’s highest planning authority – The
Planning Commission of India – is laying out a vision
document for a low-carbon path for India by 2050. The
IYCN is working with the Commission to ensure that this
critical document is developed with full participation of
youth – who will, in 2050, just be retiring after a working
lifetime implementing this low-carbon partway.
350.org was created and led by 7 youth organisers with
strong connections to the international youth movement
at COP14 in Poznan and COP13 in Bali. They coordinated
the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s
history on October 24, 2009, and in 2010 is maintaining
that momentum with a “Get To Work” campaign, in
partnership with the 10:10 campaign, who aim to cut
emissions of all campaign participants by an ambitious,
but achievable, 10% in 2010.
On 10/10/2010, communities worldwide will be part of a
‘Global Work Party’ – putting up solar panels, insulating
homes, erecting windmills, planting trees, launching
or harvesting local gardens, building bicycles and
more. On this day, the youth movement will lead their
communities in “getting to work” creating the sustainable
future, showing political leaders that now is time to lead,
confident that they will have public support.
A message to World Leaders from Global Youth
at the conclusion of COP15:
“You’re not done yet,
and neither are we!”
28
2010 initiatives
Empowering vulnerable youth –
governance, education, training.
“Some Somalian youth, whose country has been in
civil war their whole life, they told me that many have
never been to school, and that small kids use guns
as their toys. They said, if someone can discover
something more exciting for the kids than the guns,
then maybe something will change. We want to use
climate change as the issue to engage youths, to
educate them, and to eventually end violence and
government corruption in Africa.”
“We are focusing on establishing national youth
networks in countries we haven’t worked in before,
like Somalia and Ethiopia, as well as strengthening
and expanding existing ones. It is amazing how youth
are responding, wanting to be associated with AYICC.
We will run campaigns, and start with the grassroots,
step by step, educating the youth and running
regional conferences.”
African Youth Initiative on Climate Change
The Caribbean region is among the world’s most climate-
vulnerable areas, strongly impacted by rising sea levels
and tropical hurricanes. The Caribbean Youth Environment
Network (CYEN) was established in 1992 and is now the
largest youth organisation in the region. Under the five-
year Caribbean Youth Programme for Action on Climate
Change, CYEN raises public and youth awareness, engages
in political advocacy, and is training youth leaders in
electrical energy auditing and small business management
across the 16 Caribbean territories, particularly targeting
work in disadvantaged communities.
Intergenerational Equity in
government:
The youth in the UK are investigating the establishment
of an ‘Ombudsman for future generations’, to review all
government decisions with regard to the rights of future
generations, based on the existing Hungarian model.
Additionally, they are participating in the Youth Advisory
Panel of the Department for Energy and Climate Change,
inputting on both policy and on appropriate structures and
operating methodologies for the Panel, moving it beyond
youth consultation and into real, effective participation in
policy development.
Restoring confidence in climate science
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) has
launched a competition called ‘Reality Check’ to push back
against misinformation about climate change spread at
the end of 2009, in order to improve public understanding
of climate science, thus restoring public confidence in the
IPCC and climate science. During ‘Climate Reality Week’,
AYCC is partnering with a national youth radio station and
is offering prizes for young people who display the slogan
“The Climate is Changing: We Can’t Escape Reality” or
who present the climate mythbusting fact sheet in the
most creative way to the greatest number of people.
International Coordination
Despite the disappointing outcome of COP15, youth
participation took a strong step forward. However,
youth still have much to improve on, learning from the
successes and the challenges faced there.
Enabled by the funding from the Dutch government,
youth spent a full day together after COP evaluating the
performance of YOUNGO. This was followed up with
online evaluations and a recommendations report.
In 2010, youth are working to improve international
institutional memory, coordination and governance.
Priorities include improving efectiveness and
accountability of the volunteer ‘Bottomliners’ coordinating
team, potential establishment of international coordination
staff, and improving global representativity and language
inclusivity. Financial support and supportive partnerships
are being sought to support this effort.
Delegations to COP16, Mexico
Youth from all regions of the world are planning and
seeking support for activities at COP16 in Mexico,
December 2010 and COP17 in South Africa, 2011.
These two events will be a further opportunity to create
political change while building capacity and global
connections in the youth climate movement, particularly
for Latin American and African networks.
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Conclusion
The irresistible momentum of the youth movement
The YOUNGO activities described in this report
demonstrate that youth, through participation in and
around negotiations, are actively shaping their future.
Youth are empowered, influencing national politics, and
building their skills, capacities and understanding in a
global network. They are also creating cultural change
locally, and bringing ambitious global climate agreements
closer to becoming reality.
Governor Schwarzenegger of California, USA, said in a
speech prior to COP that:
“The world’s governments alone cannot make progress.
The world’s governments need cities, states, regions,
provinces, universities, youth, activists, scientists and
individuals. We must liberate a transformative power
below a national level. That could be the success of COP15.”
COP15 was a clear step forward in global climate politics,
despite the overwhelming inadequacy of the COP15
outcome. Heads of state and government are now
personally engaged on the climate issue, and civil society
is more determined and active than ever. It became
clear that the youth climate movement is a key vehicle
through which the ‘liberation of transformative power’ that
Schwarzenegger refers to is occurring.
“This youth movement is setting
an example for the world.”
Fijian youth delegate, 23
The global youth climate movement is strong and
is growing rapidly. YOUNGO is playing a vital role in
consolidating that growth and strategically directing youth
energy into effective outcomes both within and outside the
UNFCCC negotiations. This work must be supported, as
this rapid growth is not expected to reverse. Instead, it is
gaining momentum.
Youth-produced multimedia: reflections on 2009
• Tom’s Copenhagen story (UKYCC)
• 2009: Explosion of the youth climate movement - Robert van Waarden, vanwaardenphoto.com
• Copenhagen wrap-up slideshow (SustainUS)
• Expedition Copenhagen Reflection (Will Steger Foundation)
• 2009 into 2010: An Audio Slideshow Narrated by Bill McKibben (350.org)
• Youth Opinions on the COP 15 Climate Summit: A Report From UN-Habitat
The prospect of continued inadequate outcomes in
the UNFCCC negotiations is a terrifying prospect for
youth. Maximising youth participation in the UNFCCC
process, and all government and civil society decision-
making processes, is essential if youth are to prevent the
negotiating away of their future safe climate.
Young people are capable of moving further up the ‘ladder
of participation’ in government and community decision-
making. However, to achieve this ideal, a greater societal
understanding of youths’ strengths and real respect for
their unique contribution is required. Youth participation,
representation, coordination, communication, governance
and continuous capacity-building must be well supported
via partnerships, funding and training.
The rapid growth of the youth movement in the past
few years has been fuelled largely on raw, volunteer
energy and passion, and without a formal international
structure. Modest investments of funds, time and energy
in international youth coordination – from individuals,
organisations and governments – will have a dramatic and
tangible effect in the coming years. Such investments in the
youth climate movement are sought and welcomed in 2010.
Engaging with the youth climate movement today will
have an immeasurable effect in the long term. As youth
engaged with YOUNGO grow older, they will take their
valuable connections, experiences, knowledge and
their globally-conscious ethic into their governments,
businesses, civil society and their communities, creating
positive change at every step along the way.
“We the youth have no other choice.
We can, we must and we will succeed.”
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 YOUTH ARE :

Copyright 2010 © YOUNGO This report was made possible by the generous contribution
Designed by: iampingpong.com provided by the Government of the Netherlands. We wish to
Author: Anna Keenan thank the UNFCCC Secretariat for their assistance and
support in securing this crucial funding, and the
Photo credits: European Youth Forum (YFJ) and Nature and Youth Denmark
Cover images, Pages 2/3, 4, 7, 8, 16, 18/19, (N&U – Natur & Ungdom) for facilitating its distribution.
23 and 26 (RIGHT): Robert van Waarden,
vanwaardenphoto.com We also wish to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the
PAGES 9, 10, 20/21, 22, 24/25 - ECO 50 global youth who participated in interviews, and more who
SINGAPORE, YONG PING LOO contributed to online evaluations, whose views are represented
throughout this report, and also to Sue Lin Wong for her
PAGE 5 - World Association of Girl
valuable academic research paper on YOUNGO.
Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)
Page 11 - Esperanza Garcia Special thanks go to members of the Bottomlining Team in
PAGE 12, 29 - KYLE GRACEY, SustainUS 2009 (Ben Vanpeperstraete, Bjarke Kronborg, Caroline Howe,
PAGE 14/15 - SIERRA STUDENT COALITION Darran Martin, Grace Mwaura, Kyle Gracey, Marcie Smith, Phil
PAGE 21, 27 - KEVIN BUCKLAND Aroneanu and Sebastien Duycks); to the YOUNGO Focal Points
PAGE 26 (LEFT) - DICKINSON COLLEGE for 2009 Wilson Ang and Lina Li; to YOUNGO staff Adrian Yeo,
Aiden Abram, Chironjit Das, Matthew Carroll, Piret Liivak and
LOGOS: Sanka Abayawardena, and to all the passionate members of
P14, ‘COY’ - iampingpong.com the global youth climate movement who are working so hard
COVERS, ‘YOUTH CLIMATE’ - kat-media.com to inspire and create positive change.

IMAGE (Back Cover): Fijian youth delegate Leah Wickham, 24, weeps at a press conference on the opening 31
day of COP15. Her homeland is at serious risk from rising sea levels.
 .ORG
Want to find out more?
Email info@youthclimate.org

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