The Youth4Nature delegation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 25th Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP25) in Madrid, Spain. From left to right: Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo, Hailey May, Elujulo Opeyemi, Emily B. N’Dombaxe Dola, Caroline Merner, Paul Mutuku, and Vania Olmos Lau. Missing: Marina Melanidis.
UNFCCC COP25 was a pivotal learning experience for all of us at Youth4Nature. COP25 was disappointing, challenging, and trying in ways that we had not anticipated.
What happened in the big picture?
Some of the main items on this COP agenda were finance, carbon markets, human rights, loss and damage, oceans, agriculture, and gender. Nature-based solutions were not formally on the agenda (though mentioned in many areas), however they played a leading role in the side-events and meetings of the conference. Over 200 side-events explicitly focused on nature-based solutions were held this year at COP!
For a great overview of the Paris Agreement and what happens at COP, check out this blog from our friends at Youth Climate Lab.
What were the outcomes of COP25?
To put it simply, there were not many. Ambition was lacking in most negotiation rooms with parties agreeing to delay agreements on carbon markets until next COP, pushing back the conversation on common time-frames for Nationally Determined Contributions, and taking human rights language out of the Paris Agreement, amongst others. This is COP’s major criticism this year and rightfully so - how can we expect radical and systemic change for climate and biodiversity when our decision-makers fail to make any decisions at all?
What happened for Youth4Nature?
Our successes included hosting three events for over 250 people, speaking on over 30 panels, and strengthening our relationship as allies with Indigenous activists, fellow youth, and civil society members!
We lobbied government officials from Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Canada, Nigeria, Kenya, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and more. We met with officials from civil society, business, and government, and we pushed hard for more space for young professionals, on-the-ground experience, and raised ambition for natural solutions to our climate crisis - but only the solutions that are enshrined in biodiversity science, put power to the people, and uphold the rights of the rural and Indigenous.
On this note, our challenges were mainly focused on re-establishing our relationship with the term “nature-based solutions”. It is a new term that is rapidly gaining popularity within civil society, government, and business, but this does not come without its shortcomings. We discovered contention with this phrasing early on at COP, and are intentionally taking the time to research, listen to our community, and re-assess where we stand on if/how we use it.
We’d like to extend a big thank you to our partners, whether they co-hosted events with us, opened up space for us to speak, or supported us on-the-ground or online - we found great comfort in the community we found at COP25!
Photo gallery: The Youth4Nature delegation speaking at, facilitating, and organizing various engagements and events at COP25. Please click on each individual photo for more details.
For an in-depth run through of our activities at COP, please click here.
Where do we go from here?
For now we are digging deep into our values, listening to our allies, and strengthening our relationships. What we know for certain is that nature is a powerful solution to our climate and biodiversity crises. It is our best tool to make positive change, and this knowledge continues to guide our work at every step.
While we have taken time off to reflect and recharge for this new year and decade, we’re doing our best to remember that growth is not linear. Burn out is common but that does not glorify it. It is okay - even affirming - to feel anxious about our environment and our future. For 2020, our team is focusing on spending more time in nature, talking openly and frequently with each other, saying “no” when needed, and building a stronger community within our team and for Youth4Nature.
The challenges that COP25 presented were abundant, but through the times of trouble we built a stronger sense of family amongst our team and a renewed passion for nature and climate. We have big things planned for 2020, and we’re coming at them more passionate, prepared, and ready to continue to build our community of youth engaged with biodiversity and climate!