Declaration
Our Climate, Our Challenge, Our Future - International Youth Declaration, Montreal 2005
[English] [French] [Spanish] [Russian] [Portuguese]
[Chinese] [German]
The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 and which entered into force on February 16, 2005, was the first small step in getting the ball rolling on international action to fight climate change. When implemented, Kyoto will reduce industrialized country emissions by 5.2% below 1990 levels. But we need to go above and beyond that to avoid dangerous climate change (the ultimate objective of the Framework Convention on Climate Change).
Youth have an opportunity to define how this process will enfold, if we choose to take it.
This declaration will speak to the future, to what needs to come after the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012,) and to further actions youth can take to fight climate change.
What we would like to know from you is:
- How has climate change impacted your life? How does it affect you? Why are you concerned about it?
- What steps need to be taken by government, industry, citizens, civil society and youth to move beyond the Kyoto Protocol (i.e. in the post-2012 period)? In light of this, what recommendations would you make to the UN Conference on Climate Change?
** Please note that the Framework Convention, and any subsequent protocols, address the overarching pathway emission reductions will take. Governments may choose which specific policies and measures they will use to achieve these reductions (i.e. each government chooses how it will reach the emissions reduction target, but that target is set by a protocol).
- What actions are you taking to reduce your own GHG emissions? What actions do you think youth should be taking? What barriers/limitations do youth actions to protect the climate face, if any?
|
You may answer any number of the questions you like, but please limit the answers to all of the questions to one page. Please include your name or the name of your organization (incl. number of members), your city, your age (or age range) and an email address where we can contact you in your response, and submit it to declaration@beyondkyoto.org by November 23.
What have youth previously had to say about climate change?
This is not the first time youth have come together to produce a climate declaration. Just as we are interested in your views, we are interested in what has been said before. Below is an overview of what youth have said at previous climate negotiations and in other fora.
At prior climate negotiations
At COP6 in The Hague, Netherlands, November 2000, youth focused on public awareness and participation in climate change; energy; water; the protection of nature; and actions youth, government and industry must take fight climate change. [Download]
At COP8 in New Delhi, India, October 2002, youth highlighted their concerns about climate change and committed themselves to actions to fight it. [Download]
Most recently at COP10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 2004, youth focused on the role youth play in achieving sustainable development, committed themselves to further public participation in and awareness about climate change, as well as put forward a number of recommendations to the COP to enhance youth involvement in the international process. [English] [Spanish]
In other international processes
Renewables2004, which took place in Bonn, Germany, June 2004 was the first intergovernmental meeting on Renewable Energy. The Who, If Not Us? Youth Energy Summit which took place before the conference produced a declaration that highlighted the need to shift to renewable sources of energy, the need to increase renewable energy and sustainable development curricula in schools and suggested a number of policy recommendations for governments to adopt. [English] [German]
In Canada
Youth from Canada's Arctic region recently released their declaration outlining the impacts they were facing from current climate change, their commitment to take personal actions to protect the climate and their vision for a sustainable future.
[Download]
