Hope

The 18th conference of the parties is officially opened and the first plenary had the different coalitions defending their positions. In other words not very different from the previous conferences.

The slow pace of the negotiations is frustrating and can easily cause lost faith. Considering this, Christiana Figueres’ (the executive secretary of the UNFCCC) appearance on an informal YOUNGO (the youth umbrella organization of the conference) meeting was a pure injection of inspiration.

Emphasizing the importance of youth in the battle against climate change, Figueres pointed out the irony of the situation which is that the youth have to pay for the mess caused by today’s leaders. The former negotiator is down to earth, honest, concrete and quickly earns respect.  Her approach is a welcome boost for tired youth COP-participants, ending her brief session with a “keep up the good work”, telling the youth representatives to study these complex processes of the climate change negotiations, go home, take decisions influenced by this knowledge and make a change where you are at, because this is where change is created.

It is like being given a receipt that what you do, and need to do, is the right thing. This is nothing but a justification and legitimizing statement for the great and important work of youth engagement. What happens on the local level, where attitudes are changed and new lifestyles created, is spelt part of the solution. Through the valuable work in the youth organizations, based on knowledge, we are all part of that solution.