Five demands set by African youth to fight climate change

During the sideline event at the ongoing CHOGM, African youth leaders who attended “African Youth Conference on Climate Justice” reiterated the need for including youth in climate change negotiations processes. The conference aimed at mobilising the youth leaders, young women and various community groups, to demand for ambitious and urgent action on climate change through tracking all key decisions and commitments made during and after the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26). They further sought to establish whether existing climate action pledges known was NDCs and their implementation thereof tracking if NDCs are ambitious enough to achieve the 1.5 Degree Celsius Paris Agreement goal. The meeting placed emphasis on the need to step up climate justice issues in addressing the climate crisis in Africa. Below are five demands by the youth: 1. Overhaul of African education system The youth requested an overhaul of African education system that speaks to climate change issues, inculcating stakeholders from children to industry leaders and key political players to create a wider understanding of the need for urgent and sustainable climate action in order to save the planet. 2. Climate finance They demand immediate measures to channel investment and finance towards, reduction in the emission of carbon emissions, from the domestic to industrial spheres. These measures should include enhancement of natural resource efficiency and climate friendly practices. “We are convinced that our relatively low carbon emissions and significant carbon absorption capacity should be considered in climate finance discussions including the carbon market,” reads part of the statement,” the youth said. The youth have demanded that individuals, youth organisations, enterprises and other climate actors have adequate and tailor-made access to prevailing technologies that will enhance information and knowledge exchange in terms of ICT as well as reduce damage to the environment and adaptation to the effects already being faced. 3. Youth participation in decision making The African youth further demanded that young people be considered in the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of climate action interventions from grassroot to national level. “This consideration should be representative of the youth demographic in our member states’ decision-making bodies,” adds the statement. 4. Considering vulnerable countries to climate change “We demand special consideration for the insular nations and territories, including, but not limited to Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome et Principe, that are part of Africa and are categorized as the most climate vulnerable countries due to their offshore geographical location and topography,” the youth have requested. 5. Request to AU The youth of Africa, in the statement, have demanded that AU member states and Regional Economic Communities begin to deliberately transition to a low carbon culture of industrialisation. “Climate finance should incrementally flow towards adaptation projects and less towards mitigation considering that Africa only accounts for 4% of global GHG emission,” they said.

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Five demands set by African youth to fight climate change