From YOUNGO, How to fight for our future at the UNFCCC: A guide for negotiators and ministers
4 December 2014
Today is Young and Future Generations day. YOUNGO thought we’d provide you with some simple instructions on the fight of our lifetime. You are never too old to learn and never too tired/disgruntled/bored to fight for the future.
1) We are the citizens of your countries, and we demand that you make our nationally determined contributions ambitious. We can stand to bear the responsibility of your past mistakes, but your decisions about the future need to be just and fair: these decisions affect our homes, our communities, and our lives.
2) Our life’s work will be to phase out carbon emissions to zero. Your job is simple: make the commitment to a clean and just phase out of fossil fuels, and a phase in of 100% renewables starting now and to be achieved no later than 2050.
3) Don’t discount our future and that of future generations. You consistently tell us you can’t afford it, but we know you have your sums all wrong: you are not counting on us having a future at all. Invest today, which for industrial countries includes paying your climate debts. And get the message to your finance ministries.
4) We all know that 80% of theknown reserves of oil, coal and gas have to stay in the ground. Our money would be better invested in a community-owned, low-carbon transition, including education. We want to hear you answering the question: when will our country stop extracting fossil fuels?
5) We are fully aware of the games some of you play in this process—the manipulation, and the appropriation of voices of the vulnerable, including the youth. We recognise your divide and rule tactics and want to make this clear: young people are uniting and you cannot stop us, you can only join us.
What future will you fight for your children to have in 2050?
From YOUNGO, How to fight for our future at the UNFCCC: A guide for negotiators and ministers