Latin American and Caribbean Youth Statement on the commitment of our countries to COP21
hace 10 year
2015 is a milestone for the destiny of our society. Our political leaders are on a mission to reach a global agreement that is evidence-based, ambitious, equitable and binding to ensure a stable climate and our right to sustainable development for all.
The “Voz de Nuestra Generación: Declaración de Jóvenes de Latinoamérica y el Caribe ante el compromiso de nuestros países frente a la COP21” warns of the unacceptable risks of climate change and its impacts on the region, the need to raise the ambition of our global emission reduction and adaptation goals to increase the resilience of our communities to the present and future impacts of climate change; and likewise, it recalls the need to ensure the means of implementation to catalyze these climate commitments.
Thus, in this declaration, the young members of the Ambassadors +1 platform identify 10 key elements for climate action, which they ask their authorities to take into account when representing them in the climate negotiations, which will culminate at COP21 with a new climate agreement. Read the full statement (also available in Spanish) here):
La Voz de Nuestra Generación: Statement by Latin American and Caribbean Youth on the commitment of countries to COP21
We, the youth of Latin America and the Caribbean, committed to the social, economic and environmental reality of each country, and recognizing that climate change is currently the most urgent global issue to address.
We declare that:
We recognize that the evidence presented by numerous studies around the world, compiled by the IPCC, is clear and compelling: human action is responsible for destabilizing our climate system and we need to take urgent action to avoid exceeding a 1.5°C global temperature increase if we are to succeed in avoiding the most serious consequences of climate change.
We affirm that climate change is a reality that is already affecting our countries and the region in general., The increase in the frequency and severity of extreme phenomena, the loss of the Amazon forest cover, the melting of glaciers, the rise in sea level, the deterioration of coral reefs, the salinization and desertification of agricultural land, the displacement and extinction of animal and plant species, all of which compromise the water, food and energy security of our populations, and exacerbate the risk of millions of people falling into poverty.
We consider Latin America and the Caribbean to be a key region for action on climate change. for its great biological and cultural diversity, and as such should reflect its concern by demonstrating international leadership.
We believe that our countries will need to decouple their economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increase their resilience to the current and projected impacts of climate change. Despite not having historical responsibility, nor being the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, our countries cannot continue to grow in the same way as developed countries did, as it would be repeating the path that has put the world in this situation.
We believe that such ambitious goals are feasible and feasible. as proven by 131 countries, representing more than 2/3 of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), supporting the inclusion of a long-term goal of decarbonization, net zero emissions and/or carbon neutrality in the climate agreement, through textual proposals to the ADP and/or references to the long-term goal in their respective INDCs; as well as countries in the region with mitigation targets in their INDCs conditional on international support to increase their emission reduction ambition; and countries in the region that have included concrete adaptation measures in their INDC proposals.
Thus:
Concerned The main reason for the current and future impacts of climate change on the integrity of the regional terrestrial and marine biosphere, on the region's most vulnerable populations, and above all on our capacity to adapt.
Convinced that there is no human being in Latin America, the Caribbean and the world who does not depend on ecosystems and their services, which are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Contemplating that we are the first generation to suffer the effects of climate change, but at the same time the last that can reverse or minimize the highly destructive effects of the problem;
Reaffirming that we will be responsible for promoting real action in the face of climate change immediately and assume a more active and concrete role and participation in both mitigation and adaptation. We, the youth of the region, ask our authorities:
Article 1
Evaluate the adequacy of the 2°C global temperature increase target limit in the climate agreement, proposing 1.5°C as the best option, since the latest reports1 submitted to the UNFCCC state that 2°C is not a safe limit because it represents medium and high risks for people and systems with limited adaptive capacity, as well as higher costs for adaptation.
Article 2
Translate the goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5°C (or 2°C failing that) into a long-term goal of net zero emissions by around 2050 in the new climate agreement. This means pursuing broad global greenhouse gas reductions in the near term to achieve net zero emissions by mid-century (2050) and negative emissions by 21001.
Article 3
Ensure that adaptation is a central component of the new climate agreement with the same level of priority as mitigation. This means incorporating a global adaptation goal that takes into account the relationship between the level of mitigation ambition, the consequent impacts of climate change and the needs and costs of adaptation, and thus ensures the resilience of ecosystems, societies and economies by committing the parties to increase their adaptation efforts and reduce the vulnerability of populations. This goal could be accompanied by the promotion of research on the effects of climate change in our region, contextualizing the implications of an increase of 1.5°C or 2°C in local realities, and their respective adaptation measures.
Article 4
Ensure the availability of new technologies and the adaptation of existing adaptation and mitigation technologies to local conditions. This means the development, diffusion and rapid scale-up of CO2 capture and low-carbon technologies, with special emphasis on the energy sector and land use, as well as the adaptation of existing solutions to local contexts. The technologies required for the 1.5°C scenario are basically the same as for 2°C, but they need to be developed faster and in this context it is vital to ensure the necessary conditions for innovation, technology transfer, including institutional arrangements, financing and capacity building. Similarly, indigenous peoples are urged to be taken into account as a source of traditional knowledge for adaptation to climate change.
Article 5
Increase efforts in capacity building and education to ensure progress towards the 1.5°C target. This means ensuring support to Parties to the UNFCCC for the design and implementation of activities related to education, public awareness, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation; and improving the monitoring and review of the effectiveness of capacity building activities.
Article 6
To seek and increase the financing granted to the Green Climate Fund in the medium term, as well as to discourage investment in fossil fuels, while increasing green investments in a path towards a new low-carbon and resilient economy and promoting, through these transformations, the technological, educational and cooperative means that will allow the development of green jobs.
Article 7
Increase the level of ambition of their INDCs (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions). This means recognizing the results of the review of the aggregate effect of national contributions, identifying a substantial gap between national commitments and the emissions we need to reduce to stay below 1.5°C; as well as committing to a mechanism for reviewing national contributions and increasing ambition in 5-year cycles.
Article 8
Actively participate in the negotiation processes prior to the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the UNFCCC, to be held in Paris in December of this year, and assume a positive leadership role in their respective negotiating blocs to ensure all of the above, as well as a proactive and committed attitude to reach an ambitious and binding global climate agreement.
Article 9
Assume its commitments after COP21 and the launch of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals with strength and conviction. This is accompanied by the recognition of synergies with the Lima-Paris Action Agenda, which brings together the efforts of subnational and non-state actors, with the allocation of resources and the implementation of participatory processes that allow us to take on the challenges posed by climate change together.
Article 10
Recognize the fundamental role of youth, indigenous peoples, religious groups, civil society, organizations, foundations, subnational governments, companies and private sector agencies, etc., and enable the implementation of more effective public policies with the support of these groups. With special emphasis, we ask that civil society youth organizations be included in the processes of debate, planning and execution of projects and actions to address climate change, through the acceleration of formal and non-formal education initiatives, the implementation of sustainable entrepreneurship accelerator ecosystems, and technical, political and financial support.
For all the above reasons, the Youth of Latin America and the Caribbean ask their authorities for greater commitments, but at the same time we commit ourselves to accompany, collaborate and promote the environmental and climate public policies established by the National and Local Governments, with the fundamental objective of improving the vulnerability conditions of our countries and enhancing the mitigation opportunities of the region, thus achieving a low-emission and climate resilient development, and above all, improving the quality of life of all the inhabitants of the region.
If you want to join this petition, sign the declaration:
(1) As recommended by the SED in its latest report. The SED (Structured Expert Dialogue) was established as the sole review mechanism for the 2°C target in 2012. The Report of the SED available here
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