Youth Climate Action for Enviromental Challenges and Sustainability

“We, the youth, unite in action against the climate crisis. The Earth’s climate is nearing the point-of-no-return from which life on the planet cannot recover. The cost of inaction is too immense. Threats to the climate menace every aspect of our world; and the sustainable communities we must build for the future depend on our collective will to meet and overcome these existential challenges.”-Youth Climate Compact.

With the industry rising, along with the exploitation of natural resources, the environment simply cannot cope. People are experiencing the significant impacts of climate change, and it has significant impact on human lives and our civilization as a whole. The greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are driving climate change and continue to rise. They are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is projected to rise in the next decades and is likely to surpass 3 degrees Celsius this century, with some areas of the world expected to show even greater growth of temperature. The poorest and most vulnerable populations are being affected the most.

Furthermore, climate change is aggravating global crises, intensifying drought and the lack of access to clean water and, subsequently, heightening global conflicts. By 2050, over 143 million people will be displaced as a result. Widespread interference of human related activities have resulted in major problems including environmental pollution, land degradation, global warming/climate change, paucity of potable water supply and biodiversity loss. These issues have directly affected the quality and sustainability of the ecosystems.

As one of the direct consequences of man-​made climate change, several wildfires have begun in the Amazon rain forest in the summer of 2019. This news prompted shock and fear since the Amazon is the world's largest rainforest and is home to millions of plants and animals, ranging from poison dart frogs to jaguars. This abundance of life is vital to the survival of human societies, providing everything from raw materials to functioning ecosystems.In addition to its biodiversity, the Amazon plays a crucial role in regulating the climate, with its trees absorbing and storing millions of tons of carbon dioxide—a key greenhouse gas that drives global climate change. Deforestation releases this trapped carbon into the atmosphere. Moreover, the Amazon fires have become a political question as well, with the Brazillian president Bolsonaro implying that environmental NGOs were behind the burning. In addition, after President Emmanuel Macron of France called the fires a crisis, tweeting that “our house is burning,” Bolsonaro co-opted his words, accusing him of a “misplaced colonial mindset.

As the human population grows, there is a need to connect with something we all share: The Earth. The earth is one global village that we all share. We stand on the same earth, and when we connect with the earth in meaningful ways by taking care of it, we find compassion and care for each other. The 68th UN Civil Society Conference gathered a group of non-governmental organizations, activists, academics and government personnel at Salt Lake City, Utah for a three-day assembly to find solutions to challenges including climate change and building sustainable communities. Youth activists are leading climate movements all over the globe, from Sara Blazevic and Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement and Jamie Margolin of Zero Hour in the United States to 16-year old Greta Thunberg and her school strikes for the climate. They are calling on corporations, lobbying organizations, and governments to take action for a livable future for themselves and the generations that follow.

* What measures should be taken to assure that this compact will make it happen?

*How can youth impact when it comes to environmental challenges and sustainability?

*What political actions should be taken to assure cooperation?