Adolescence

OPPORTUNITIESrisk of climate change worsening already existing problemsand heightening the possibility of conflict; a further 56countries face a lower but still marked risk of climateexacerbatedstrife.Adolescents are deeply concerned aboutclimate changeThe second is adolescents’ passionate concern for the issue.Adolescents are extremely conscious that their own future,as well as future generations, will be severely jeopardizedby climate change. The advent of theUnited Nations Framework Conventionon Climate Change (UNFCCC) hasspurred the already vibrant dialogue andadvocacy among adolescent and youngpeople across the globe on this issue.In particular, since the 11th Conferenceof the Parties (COP) – the governingbody of the UNFCCC – held inMontreal in 2005, youth involvementin the UNFCC process has intensified.In 2008, the UN established theJoint Framework Initiative on Children,Youth and Climate Change, which has spurred the integrationof efforts for and by adolescents and youth on climatechange at the international level.“To build a greenworld, we mustgive priority to treeplantation and ecolivingpractices.”Abu Bakkor, 10, Bangladeshcaused a stir when she posed the following question tothe delegates: “How old will you be in 2050?” Her interventionwon a round of applause. By the following day,hundreds of people in Bonn were wearing T-shirts emblazonedwith that question – including the Chair himself,who started the next day’s session stating that he wouldbe 110 in 2050 but that his children would then be intheir fifties. The question encapsulated young people’sacute sense that climate change is an issue that demandsan intergenerational response involving adolescents asintegral partners along with adults indecision-making. 5, 6Adolescents and young people are callingfor urgent action on climate change. Atboth the 2008 UN Summit on Climatein New York and COP 15, delegationsof youth and adolescents appealed toworld leaders to act more quickly andcomprehensively to stem the rising tide ofcarbon emissions. An online space, Unitefor Climate, has been developed by UNagencies and other international organizationsto enable children, young people andexperts to collaborate on climate issues. Time and again,their discourse has urged governments to take bold anddecisive action.The year 2009 also saw considerable youth engagementin global climate change issues, with youth officially recognizedas a civil society actor in the UNFCCC negotiatingprocess. 3 In that same year, children and youth fromsome 110 countries participated in a discussion of thechallenges of climate change at the TUNZA InternationalChildren and Youth Conference organized by the UnitedNations Environment Programme and held in Daejeon,Republic of Korea. 4At the UN Climate Change Talks, held in March–April2009 in Bonn, a young woman from the United KingdomConsideration of the impact on adolescents and childrenshould be an integral part of all international frameworksand national programmes established to counter climatechange. But merely considering the needs and interests ofyoung people is insufficient, since their participation is alsourgently required. All national and local initiatives aimedat adapting to climate change or at reducing disaster risksshould involve adolescents from the outset. 7 Incorporatingadolescents’ perspectives and knowledge and encouragingtheir participation in disaster risk reduction and climatechange adaptation strategies is not just a matter of principle– it is an imperative.GLobal challenges for adolescents 43