Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
This November marked my two-year anniversary in the international youth climate space! My first event was the Conference of Youth 16 ahead of COP26 in 2021 and being back at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) again now in 2023 provides a pivotal setting to reflect on my engagement. In the past two years, I have been so fortunate to meet youth from around the world, advocate for the causes I believe in, and learn about various theories of change. I think that my experience, while accelerated by a gap year spent at many conference halls, is one that is universal to the youth who are participating in this year’s COP28.
I could talk at length about the sheer learning that takes place by being in proximity of so many of the best minds on climate, or the immense struggle to demand institutional change during a crisis. I would highlight those as some of the key takeaways of being at COP in general. But I would like to focus in on something that this specific COP28 has imprinted on me: the sense of community that I am grateful for.
For young people and much of civil society generally, each step of the journey to COP is a fight. Many of us do not have the funds to live in Dubai for two weeks. Others must explain to their professors or colleagues what exactly they are disappearing to do. In the global south, youth face these challenges on an even stronger scale as accreditation and visa challenges abound. Because of these barriers, I would not be able to have the experiences that I can at COP28, or many of the other conferences I have been a part of, without the generous support of a combination of sources that have funded me, accredited me, sheltered me, fed me, invited me onto panels, actively shared their contact information with me, listened to me, and mostly just believed in me. It is hard to imagine that so many organizations and individuals have separately taken that chance and made a perfect combination of circumstances for me to attend. I do not know if I would have made that bet on myself initially in 2021, but little by little, I think I have begun to believe in myself more as well.
I hear that, a decade ago, youth participation at high-level conferences such as COPs were scarce. Today, “youthwashing” is still most definitely an issue. The polity of the Blue Zone where the negotiations happen is still not representative of the constituencies that are supposedly served. I cannot count how many times I was invited to contribute to the conversation as the only person under 35 and for the sole purpose of justifying why young people’s presence is necessary. It is a frustrating and unfortunate reality. But, even in these past two years, I have seen change. I have received faith and in turn have more faith that these heavy, heavy doors are cracking open wider.
I cannot count how many times I was invited to contribute to the conversation as the only person under 35…But, even in these past two years, I have seen change.
During my time in Dubai, I was fortunate enough to reconnect with old friends, many who have been in this space for far longer than me. I also met up with other youth who were attending for the first time and had no idea what to expect. I am somewhere in-between those two ends, and I see a bit of myself in both of those versions. Having been at COP three times now, I am more familiar with the language surrounding the types of strategies youth use to mobilize (direct actions, interventions, bilaterals, and more). I understand what it means to ask questions like, “What are you following?” and answer with terms such as “Article 6.2.” I even share my knowledge by participating in panels like this one, something that I was not comfortable with doing at the start. But, flying over Glasgow as I draft this blog, I still vividly remember how overwhelming the experience was as a nineteen-year-old, making my first international solo trip and not knowing if this was even real. After repeated confirmation, I can assure those who have not yet been that this world is real – a venue where youth gather, strategize, educate, inspire, and create change.
I can assure those who have not yet been that this world is real – a venue where youth gather, strategize, educate, inspire, and create change.
Angela Z. is an undergraduate at Harvard studying economics and environmental science public policy. She is originally from Houston, Texas, and was inspired to get involved after facing several environmental health hazards and natural disasters.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are the writer’s own.
