Tackling the Climate Crisis Head On
As the platform for young leaders building a better, more sustainable future, One Young World’s commitment to combating climate change is embedded in its DNA.
From grassroots conservation efforts, advocating for and lifting the voices of Indigenous communities, to heads of supranational organisations paving the way for sustainable development, One Young World Counsellors and Ambassadors are making a substantial difference on the frontlines.
Green Zone Session Announcement
COP26 came at a critical moment of the climate crisis - governmental inertia is no longer a credible option, and action is long overdue. One Young World recognised the importance of this summit and is committed to supporting the voices of young leaders who are on the frontier of the fight against climate change, to ensure the next generation are not shut out from the debate.
One Young World was pleased to have hosted four exciting events throughout the Green Zone, partnering with key leaders in the climate space.
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Policymaking for Future Generations: A Blueprint For A Green Future
Date/Time: 05 Nov 2021, 13:30 - 14:30
Venue: Science Show Theatre
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Planetary Conservation: A global intergenerational discussion on how to effectively preserve and safeguard the natural world
Date/Time: 06 Nov 2021, 09:30 - 11:30
Venue: Tower Base North
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So, you want a Green job?
Date/Time: 07 Nov 2021, 15:30 - 17:00
Venue: Tower Base South
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Unlocking Climate Solutions: From the Pacific Islands to the Arctic, why Indigenous knowledge must take centre stage
Date/Time: 08 Nov 2021, 10:00 - 11:30
Venue: Cinema Auditorium
Read more about One Young World in the media at COP26
One Young World x The Extreme Hangout
One Young World believes that young people’s voices, especially those from communities which are often disproportionately impacted by the consequences of climate change deserve a seat at the table. This is why One Young World is committed to furthering youth representation at COP26 and will continue to work closely with the British government’s Youth Engagement team and other NGOs, world leaders and businesses to highlight young leaders and their work. One Young World worked hard to ensure young people across the world were involved in COP26 and to use this historic Summit as an opportunity to create meaningful change on climate.
One Young World was also proud to partner with EXTREME International on a dynamic hub in Glasgow at COP26 where young people came together to network, share ideas, learn from others, be inspired and ultimately leave with a renewed passion, understanding and urgency to help drive the green agenda. The EXTREME Hangout powered by OVO was located on The Ferry, a unique and well known entertainment venue with a capacity of 600 people and conference capacity of 200, that is permanently moored at Anderston Quay on the Clyde. It is located just a short walk between the Scottish Exhibition Centre, the venue of COP26 and the city centre. The hub featured an 11-day showcase of live discussion, education and entertainment driven by:
- Panel discussions from opinion formers and leaders in the field, curated by One Young World
- Space to hang out, share ideas, recharge yourself and your devices Leading chefs delivering local food & beverages
- Entertainment with live music and comedy
The Extreme Venue also featured an exciting evening agenda commencing from 7:00 pm.
Join us at COP26 for The EXTREME Hangout
Ambassadors speak at COP26 forums hosted by UK Cabinet Office
In the lead up to COP26, several One Young World Ambassadors, including Nomindari Enkhtur, Enass Abo Hamed, and Alain Kilajian have been advocating for urgent, decisive climate action in several high-level forums. In an effort to ensure young leaders sit around key decision-making tables, One Young World has worked with its partners to identify such opportunities. Learn more below.
Young Leaders on Climate
Brighton Kaoma, Zambia
Amidst visible consequences of pollution from the mining industry, Brighton identified the medium of radio as the most suitable platform to educate people across Zambia about the negative impacts and potential solutions to climate change. The programme swiftly became the most listened to show in the province, reaching an estimated 3,000,000 people.
Angelique Pouponneau, Seychelles
Angelique is the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles' Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust. Currently worth about $22 million, the trust supports community-led projects on marine conservation and climate change. Angelique is a lawyer, and she holds an LLM in Environmental law specialising in the law of the sea and natural resources law.
Nicolle Fagan, United States
Nicolle is the Co-founder of the Palau Pledge, a groundbreaking new initiative to protect the Pacific Island nation of Palau, an archipelago of over 200 islands. Nicolle and her team collaborated with the government to design a mandatory eco-pledge which all visitors are required to sign upon arrival; entry visas are not issued to those who don’t sign.
Joseph Tsongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Almost half of the African continent’s tropical rainforests are found in the DRC, yet an average of 70,000 hectares of forest are being lost each year due to agriculture expansion and an ever-growing population. This led Joseph to launch the "one child = one tree" project which links education and conservation, using the country's population growth to fight climate change.
Adeline Suwana, Indonesia
Adeline founded Sahabat Alam Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to environmental conservation efforts and awareness in young people. She currently is an MBA Candidate at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and was a Schwarzman Scholar.
Raeed Ali, Fiji
I am a youth activist, currently the national coordinator of Precious Plastic Fiji, Volunteer at WWF Pacific, Committee member at 350 Fiji & a Project Officer at Alliance for Future Generations, Fiji's biggest youth-led movement on climate change and sustainable development. I work to mobilize, engage, empower and inspire young people in becoming leaders of positive change. Our main goal is to make a significant contribution to a circular economy through the recycling and upcycling of plastic waste, while at the same time, empowering people with the knowledge and tools for a cleaner Fiji.
Kehkashan Basu, Canada
Born in 2000, Kehkashan Basu is the only Canadian to be awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize (in 2016). A One Young World Ambassador, she is the Founder President of Green Hope Foundation, a social innovation enterprise, through which she has had significant impact on the global community with her work on children's rights, peace and disarmament, climate justice, gender equality and social upliftment.
Madhav Datt, India
Madhav is a Software Engineer at Google. Madhav established Green the Gene as a small environmental club in his school when he was 8 years old. Today, Green the Gene is one of the world’s largest completely youth-led environmental non-profits, with over 7,000 young volunteers and projects in 62 countries.
Amira Odeh, Puerto Rico
Amira Odeh is a Geographer and Water Resource Specialist from Puerto Rico. Since an early age she has been interested in solving the most pressing environmental issues she has experienced around her. Amira Odeh organized a campaign to ban the sale of single use plastic bottled water and create a more accessibility for the community to have free clean drinking water. This campaign was successful in having the campus become the first in Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve this. She has led training efforts in Puerto Rico, USA and Chile to support new leaders in developing their own community campaigns and environmental initiatives.
Kamal Deen Kassim, Nigeria
Kamal Deen Kassim is an environmental activist working in engineering and field research. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hinata Energy, a startup company that retails affordable and safe biofuel and biofuel-powered cookstoves, targeting low-income communities, thereby discouraging deforestation for traditional biomass uses.
Beatriz de Araujo, Brazil
Beatriz is the Founder and President of Instituto Verdeluz, a non-profit which engages young Brazilians with conservation initiatives, including sea turtle conservation, waste management and conservation units. Brazil has a vast coastline, spanning over 7,000 km, and supporting diverse ecosystems (1). Instituto Verdeluz engages with young people in Fortaleza to protect and restore the biodiversity on which nature relies. One of the organisation’s core initiatives is the protection and monitoring of endangered sea turtles, animals which are essential to maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.
Jhanisse Vaca Daza, Bolivia
Jhanisse Vaca Daza is co-founder of Ríos de Pie, a non-violent citizen movement focused on human rights and environmental rights in Bolivia. She is also Manager of the Freedom Fellowship at the Human Rights Foundation and Network Manager for the Oslo Freedom Forum. She began teaching nonviolence in Bolivia at the age of 23, which later led to the creation of a youth nonviolence movement: Ríos de Pie (Standing Rivers in English). Standing Rivers played a key role driving humanitarian efforts during the Amazon fires crisis in 2019 and the COVID crisis in Bolivia.
The Global Roundtable on Climate Action
In the months leading up to COP26, One Young World has ensured that the voices of young leaders of all backgrounds and sectors are being meaningfully taken into account.
One Young World has, in partnership with UK COP26 Youth Advisory Group member Will Ferrell, launched a series of monthly roundtable sessions, each focused on a key aspect of the climate crisis.
Inheriting Climate Change with Maatalii Okalik and Rae Bainteti
The Republic of Kiribati, located in the central Pacific Ocean halfway between Australia and Hawaii, will be the first to go underwater as sea levels continue to rise. Simultaneously, Arctic cultures are experiencing the devastating erosion of their land at the hands of global warming.
Introduced by Curator Amber Lincoln and hosted by trailblazing youth activist and One Young World Ambassador, Kehkashan Basu, the conversation explored how their communities have adapted to overcome the consequences of climate change. This discussion was hosted in partnership with One Young World and the British Museum Youth Collective.
Lets Talk About the Climate Emergency
Hear from British Ambassador to Germany, Jill Gallard, and climate action leaders - Jean Paul Brice Affana, Molly Palmer and Line Niedeggen - reflect on what each of us can do in the #RaceToZero and why #COP26 is a key milestone for all corners of the globe to come #TogetherForOurPlanet.
One Young World Ambassadors Speak with the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Bahamas on Climate Action
On the lead up to COP26, the One Young World Caribbean Community welcomed the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Bahamas for a roundtable discussion with young people in the region on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
NEWS
One Young World Achieves International Event Sustainability Certification ISO 20121
Together to Tackle the Covid, Injustice, Climate Change and Nature Emergencies
On a mission to transform planetary health
Events and Opportunities
Food Systems Fellowship with support from The Rockefeller Foundation
Afri-Plastics Challenge
One Young World x Department of Education: Green Jobs Event
Get in touch with us.
Are you a One Young World Ambassador attending COP26 or Blue Zone Accredited organisation looking for partnership opportunities to raise the profile of young leaders on Climate Change?
We want to hear from you. Get in touch with our team to talk about how One Young World can support your COP26 activity.