{"id":34373,"date":"2019-09-23T14:31:26","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T18:31:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=34373"},"modified":"2021-05-20T20:56:27","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T00:56:27","slug":"un-youth-climate-summit-shows-promise-for-our-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/un-youth-climate-summit-shows-promise-for-our-future\/","title":{"rendered":"UN Youth Climate Summit Shows Promise for Our Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On September 21, young climate activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, influencers and trailblazers from all over the world gathered at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York for the first-ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit. 
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In commanding fashion, these young leaders took the floor of the Trusteeship Council chamber and its surrounding areas to inspire change, showcase their climate solutions and put pressure on elected officials. 
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\u201cThe climate and ecological crisis is the political crisis of our time, it is the economic crisis of our time, and it is the cultural crisis of our time,\u201d Bruno Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Argentinian climate activist, said during the opening ceremony. 
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\u201cMany times, we hear that our generation is going to be the one in charge of dealing with the problems that current leaders have created,\u201d he continued, \u201cand we will not wait passively to become that future. The time is now for us to be leaders.\u201d
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The summit came just one day after the Global Climate Strike, which was inspired by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and had a turnout of more than 4 million people globally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friday For Future strike, Battery Park, NYC
Image: The University Network <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYesterday, millions of people across the globe marched and demanded real climate action, especially young people,\u201d Thunberg said at the U.N. Youth Summit. \u201cWe showed that we are united. And that we young people are unstoppable.\u201d
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Greta Thunberg filling up reusable water bottle before speaking at UN Youth Summit
Image: The University Network <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

U.N. Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake praised the young activists for what they\u2019ve already accomplished. 
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\u201cImagine the power of the movement you have created,\u201d she said, speaking to Thunberg, Rodriguez and others. \u201cThe leaders are now asking for a seat at your table!\u201d
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And after listening to the young activists, U.N. Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, who was the event\u2019s \u201ckeynote listener,\u201d took a moment to admit the faults of his generation. 
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\u201cMy generation has largely failed until now to preserve both justice in the world and to preserve the planet,\u201d he said. \u201cMy generation has a huge responsibility. It is your generation that must make us be accountable to make sure that we don’t betray the future of humankind.\u201d
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Outside of the Trusteeship chamber, in tents near the UN\u2019s Rose Garden, other young climate leaders from around the world participated in panels covering a wide-variety of topics — from policy initiatives to social media activism, sustainable consumerism and more. 
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At one tent, Nanoua Ewekia, a proud resident of Tuvalu, a small island nation, and coordinator of the nation\u2019s national youth council, explained some of the steps her country is taking to address climate change — one being its desire to establish a youth parliament to ensure that the views of youth are included in decision-making and planning. 
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\u201cIn Tuvalu, the youths there are all climate change activists because they can see what\u2019s actually happening in our country,\u201d Ewekia said. Due to sea level rise, caused by climate change, Tuvalu is rapidly disappearing. 
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Nanoua Ewekia (second from left) explaining steps her country is taking
Image: The University Network <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a separate tent, just 20 yards away, American actor and climate change activist Luke Mullen urged young people to use social media and other online platforms to encourage their peers to act against climate change, which is something he\u2019s been doing for some time. 
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\u201cWhat I’ve really focused on is bringing as many youth to this movement as possible, through social media, through outreach — through every platform possible,\u201d Mullen said. \u201cThe biggest part of this movement Is coming together and joining something bigger than ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Luke Mullen speaking at UN Youth Climate Summit
Image: The University Network <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shortly thereafter, another young actor and climate activist Joshua Rush took the stage to explain how a carbon tax could help solve some of the United States\u2019 most pressing issues, namely student debt. 
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\u201cWe can focus the money that comes from a carbon tax to specific issues. In the United States, one that keeps coming up is student debt,\u201d Rush said. \u201cIf we put a carbon tax and a wealth tax in place right now, we could eliminate student debt for every American.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Actor and activist @JoshuaRush<\/a> on how a carbon tax could help eliminate student debt #un<\/a> #UNClimateSummit<\/a> #climate<\/a> #UNYouthClimateSummit<\/a> #studentdebt<\/a> #YouthClimateStrike<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MnghWvLsXF<\/a><\/p>— TheUniversityNetwork (@TUNforStudents) September 21, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>