This blog post was authored by Zuhura Ahmad and edited by Raysa França
The full Y4N global youth delegation to COP28
“We are not doing nature a favour as we think is the case. We are showing up for nature because nature is our survival” - Oluwaseun Adekugbe, Y4N Managing Director.
COP28 was one of the biggest, most important global meetings on climate in over a decade. At it, governments discussed and decided how to limit and prepare for future climate change. Youth4Nature supported nine youth delegates to attend COP28, where we challenged inequity, extraction, and scarcity with togetherness, regeneration, and abundance and advocated for nature, justice and youth. Our key messages were:
Climate action with nature
Climate action with youth
Climate action with justice
Photojournal: some of our engagements at COP28
Being there in person ensured that we made more space for youth, delivered the youth position on nature-based solutions, and showed up for other youth and young people to increase the resilience of our global youth community within these discussions.
For a look into some of the work we accomplished in Dubai last December 2023, check out the photo gallery below:
Empowering delegates for meaningful participation at COP28:
We started our work with on-ground training sessions and preparation. We had more than 15 in-person and six online trainings - COPs are incredibly complex to navigate, and young leaders are often overwhelmed. Hence, our delegates received preparation in policy (Loss and Damage, Carbon Markets), fundraising, pitching, and public speaking, among other topics.
We also attend COY, the Conference of Youth! COY happens before the official programming of COP starts, and the conference's objective is to provide a place for young people to convene, consolidate our collective position regarding policy, and raise our capacity and knowledge on key climate topics.
These trainings and COY equipped our delegates with the necessary skills to engage with and learn more about policy and to meaningfully contribute to the discussions and narratives at COP28. Furthermore, it increased the confidence of youth in participating on the global stage. Bringing youth to climate conferences is not enough; access to the space also means access to knowledge and information.
There is no climate action without nature - our work around biodiversity and nature-based solutions
At COP26, we launched our Global Youth Position Statement on NbS! And three years later, we brought the statement back to the table. During the Conference of Youth COY, Abraham Bugre and Oluwaseun delivered notes on the outcomes to a youth audience on the Global Youth Position statement on NbS.
Our delegate Oluwaseun commented on the Global Youth Statement on NbS bringing perspectives related to the inclusion of youth in NbS - the statement brought the voices of thousand of global youth on how NbS should be implemented, to the biodiversity and climate policy
During COP28, we hosted an event taking stock of the NbS statement: where we are at, what has changed and what are the important aspects for policy and implementation of NbS. In the panel, our delegate Aiita leads on this important conversation
During the event, we advocate for NbS that are fair, led by communities and youth, and grounded in justice, and we showcased how we do that through INUKA, our NbS accelerator on the ground in Kenya.
Still, regarding nature-based solutions, Y4N co-hosted a side event on NbS at UNFCCC side event room in partnership with the Zoological Society of London. We brought together visions for implementing NbS from a Global North and South perspective. You can check the panel out on YouTube.
Our perspectives on nature at COP28:
Regarding the outcomes on nature/biodiversity from COP28, we see a a significant achievement as the acknowledgement of the critical role of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) during the first Global Stocktake. Our discussions and advocacy work at COP28 highlighted the climate-nature nexus expressed in sustainable land management and the conservation of diverse ecosystems in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The conference also saw progress in establishing a Loss and Damage Fund, which was decided during COP27, and defining a Global Goal on Adaptation, showcasing the interconnections between biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation efforts.
Though we see some progress with nature, Y4N’s position is that biodiversity targets must happen simultaneously with the fossil fuel phase-out. And the Rio conventions are still happening in siloes, with a disconnection of biodiversity, climate and desertification policy. Furthermore, some organisations argued that the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists at the conference was a barrier to more substantial progress toward nature goals.
Youth Spotlight during COP28:
We gathered youth stories about forestry leaders and their local initiatives & expectations from COP28 to showcase in our Faces of Forestry campaign, highlighting the human side of the forestry sector and its diversity. The project will continue in 2024 and beyond, and these interviews will be shared on the Y4N YouTube channel and social media
During COY, Javier Valdivia Navarro, a Y4N delegate, spoke on citizen science and highlighted the need to compensate local communities & Indigenous groups for their knowledge, time and expertise in climate-nature initiatives.
Y4N delegate Cesar speaking at a Climate Cafe organised by Force of Nature: Closing the gap between Climate, Science and System Change with Dafne Frias & Sir David King
Melyn’s first international high-level event was COP28 - in this panel, she spoke about regreening Africa at the EU Pavilion, sharing incredible examples of what youth are already doing to lead on restoration in projects like INUKA, our first-ever restoration project on the ground in Kenya
Youth inclusion, diversity and justice in the climate movement:
Raysa França, Global Engagement Director at Y4N, spoke at US Center, on the Gender Day event. The event, moderated by Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, underscored the importance of integrating youth and gender perspectives in climate change dialogues and actions.
Y4N delegate Maria Paula moderated a conversation on solar radiation modification (SRM), which describes the deliberate modification of Earth's radiative balance to counteract some of the effects of climate change. The conversation brought youth leaders with opposite views on the need for this type of intervention and on the how.
Zakira Bakshi, Global Ambassador at Y4N, speaks on the intersection of climate justice, gender, and conflict. There is no climate justice without justice for victims affected by war and conflict worldwide.
Rachel Boere, Y4N delegate & Finance Director, speaks on an intergenerational dialogues between Global South, Global North and how decision-making includes youth. She brings a global perspective to the debate
Our perspectives on YOUTH outcomes at COP28:
At COP28, youth advocacy achieved a milestone by institutionally establishing the Youth Climate Champion role, promising to ensure robust youth engagement in future COPs. However, some worry that the institutionalisation will truly represent the needs, desires, and positioning of global youth.
The launch of the Youth Stocktake Report provided insights for enhancing youth participation, while the Youth Climate Delegates Program brought 110 young individuals to join negotiations. We also noticed several youth organisations and movements were building the space, with demonstrations led by Fridays for Future.
However, criticisms surfaced regarding the conference's lack of ambition in climate action, inadequate climate finance commitments, and the presence of fossil fuel industry representatives, highlighting tensions between conference goals and the interests of future generations. There are still many barriers of language, access, accreditation, resources, knowledge and capacity that prevent global youth from accessing a space like COP and contributing to the decision-making, so our work continues.
The future we want
At COP28 and beyond, Youth4Nature (Y4N) continues to champion climate action with nature, youth, and justice at its core. Our advocacy at the conference, including our focus on nature-based solutions (NbS) and the INUKA project, has highlighted the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and towards a more sustainable future with nature and biodiversity.
As we move forward, we remain committed to our role, advocating for a new climate finance goal that reflects the scale of our challenges.
We recognise that Nature is everything and deserves rights and protection at every level of decision-making, especially regarding safeguarding biodiversity integrity and upholding the rights, autonomy, and leadership of Indigenous peoples and local communities, parallel to fossil fuels' phase-out.
Youth can consider demanding for operationalise the Loss & Damage fund in alignment with the urgent needs of communities experiencing the climate crisis now, with distribution mechanisms that are equitable, transparent, and just for most affected and marginalised communities, and with clarity on the expectations and responsibilities of the parties involved.
Youth4Nature recognises that adaptation projects require community engagement and leadership to be successful.
“Participating in COP28 was a transformative encounter, immersing me in a vibrant community of environmentalists showcasing diverse nature-based solutions. (…) Now armed with an expanded network, this experience empowers me to elevate climate actions, aiming for amplified impact in addressing the challenges of climate change for the benefit of both humanity and nature” Melyn Abisa, Y4N’s Delegate & INUKA Afrika Project Co-coordinator at Youth4Nature
It’s time now more than ever to turn COP28 commitments into action. Global agreements can send the right signals, but the world’s fate will ultimately determine whether we play our part in addressing the climate crisis.
The future of COPs
Moving forward, countries are urged to show greater ambition in their 2025 national action plans (NDCs). At COP29, they will need to agree on a new climate finance goal that empowers all nations towards effective climate action, including by recognising underrepresented and marginalized communities - such as LGBTQIA+, women, children, people living with disabilities, those affected by conflict, and most affected peoples from the Global South. We expect more direct finance flowing towards youth-led actions, especially in the global south, and youth involvement in the decision-making of how these finances are mobilised, distributed and spent.
Our team will continue working for nature, climate, and youth in 2024. Follow us on social media to keep up with our work.