Youth | Substantial and Sustained

The youth at COP are simply awe inspiring. The Thailand Pavilion held a Youth Leaders panel that consisted of youth leaders from Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand. For this post, I want to focus more on the presentation from Thai youth leader, Putthisak Panomsarnnarin, also known as Philips. In Thailand and in other Asian countries, fast fashion has caused great concern because of how quickly it produces waste and GHGs. According to Philips, fashion companies rotate their clothing lineup every two weeks, discarding the unsold stock in landfills. This causes large amounts of clothes ending up in the trash, but even worse is that the material of the clothing is usually made of synthetic, non-biodegradable fibers such as polyester because of the cheap production costs. Furthermore, the affordability of these clothes makes shopping very attractive and leads to more fashion consumption.To tackle this issue, a group of Thai students initiated Dress the Dream, a second-hand clothing non-profit aiming to reform the culture of fast fashion. Generally, Asian countries have a negative view of second-hand clothing as lesser. Dress the Dream hopes to change this view by taking discarded clothing and donations and showcasing and selling the clothes at its events. 70 percent of the revenue generated from the sales is invested into researching the negative impacts of fast fashion. Afterward, Dress the Dream provides reports to the government to encourage policy-makers to enact regulations against fast fashion. Through activities that attract the youth, such as fashion pop-ups and social media, Dress the Dream hopes to also influence future generations to rethink their fashion consumption and rebrand second-hand clothing as cool and environmentally friendly.

Amazingly, Dress the Dream has partnered with many organizations to join and expand the effort to eliminate wasteful fast fashion and support recycling clothing. Seeing how the youth may be involved in the fight against climate change and helping a country reach its Nationally Determined Contribution goals is astonishing. These youth initiatives are essential in providing an innovative prospective to spread awareness of climate change and tackle climate change issues.

Powerful images line the walls of the COP21 venue. They are meant to inspire delegates to reach an agreement on climate control. One such message reads: “Climate change is the single biggest thing that humans have ever done on this planet. The one thing that needs to be bigger is our movement to stop it.”

There are 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 around the globe. What many fail to realize is their power and duty when it comes to climate change. As the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reported, “young people are about to inherit an enormous responsibility for resolving many long-standing complex problems.” Because young people will outlive their elders, they are more likely to confront the direct consequences of accelerating climate change and other environmental shifts.

The need for social resilience is likely to grow, and today’s young will need in their own adulthood to be the main agents of tomorrow’s resilience. Their resilience depends in part on whether they are healthy and educated, whether they have options and opportunities in life, and whether they are fully engaged citizens whose rights are upheld.

Young people have historically participated in the UNFCCC. With additional levels of involvement via international Youth Climate Movements (YouNGO) and the Youth Portal on the UNFCCC website, youth organizations have started to view climate negotiations as a new forum for young people.

COP21 hosted an event titled “Climate Innovators: Empowering a Global Generation of Young People” this afternoon, which featured the work of both budding and experienced innovators. This event contemplated the investments needed to ensure that the newest generation can contribute to a sustainable and resilient future.

Wanjira Mathai, Chair of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, distinguished this event as one of the most important sessions of all of COP21. The role of future generations remains an essential part of the climate change solution. She finds sobering the fact that Parties are talking about ambitious targets for the Paris Outcome, yet it will be the youth who takes forward the implementation of what Parties discuss today. For this reason, she says, young people must take center stage in the Paris debates.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, thinks it is a mistake to say that the youth represent the future of humanity; he thinks instead that they represent the present. He sheds light on the basic issues of generational fairness and social justice. The youth are clearly not responsible for the climate crisis, but unfortunately, unless decisive action is taken urgently, they will carry this burden into the future.

Young people face problems that are not theirs, and have not been involved in the decision-making process. Do they not feel as if they have the strategies, skills, or power to effectively engage in negotiations? Are the later generations clinging to power? Do young people even understand the pressing nature of climate change? As the architects of prospective solutions, young people encompass the requisite spirit of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Enabling the youth to respond to climate change requires effective policies in the fields of education, training, and skills building. Ultimately, young people need to be given the design to become leaders.

The panel pointed out that younger generations are notoriously reckless, and do not realize the effects of what they do “until the results are in front of them.” Those concerned with our future can organize their influence by becoming role models to fellow youth, and to show them a conviction and desire to embody the change the world needs.

Young people are catalysts for change. And while we might be the last generation with the power to address climate change, it is not yet the end.