Young environmentalists prepare for Copenhagen
A binding cap on CO2 emissions must be the priority for December’s UN Conference on Climate Change (UNCCC), said an international meeting of young climate campaigners organised by the British Council last week.
Governments should also help to ensure that high-street prices for consumer goods reflect true environmental and social costs, said the group of young people from the UK, Finland, Denmark, Turkey, Hungary and Slovenia.
The young environmentalists will now lobby government representatives from their home countries with their proposals ahead of December’s summit.
“We want the governments meeting in December to be ambitious in the targets they agree, otherwise my generation will face climate challenges which are currently inconceivable,” said Jane Burston, a participant from the UK.
“We want the governments to be ambitious in their targets, otherwise my generation will face inconceivable climate challenges”
Environmental experts, government members and NGOs were also present at the four-day meeting in Slovenia.
“Climate change is perhaps the most urgent global challenge we face today and scientific consensus tells us we only have one generation in which to make a difference,” said Robert Monro from the British Council.
“The proposals put forward by the climate advocates gathered here will now be put before their government ministers ahead of December’s UNCCC. We think it’s important that these young voices have the chance to influence those who will be effectively negotiating their future in December,” he said.
The meeting was part of the British Council’s Challenge Europe programme which brings together young campaigners across Europe who seek to influence the climate change debate.
“This kind of camp is a welcome campaign to raise awareness and gain a stronger voice for the environment,” said Slovenian Environment Minister, Zoran Kus, at the meeting. “The young are future experts, they are the ones who will raise awareness for climate change in the future. It is only right that their voices are heard now.”
