COP28: Environment Minister calls on countries to bring youth to the centre stage of solving climate crisis

Dubai: Describing the youth as the "agents of change", Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Friday called on countries to bring young people to the centre stage of solving the climate crisis.

Yadav was speaking at the launch of the Green Rising, an initiative launched by India with UN children’s body UNICEF here at the COP28. The initiative is aimed at fuelling Youth-led Climate Actions and Solutions.

The Green Rising Global Initiative will create pathways for at least 10 million children to contribute to countries’ ambitious National Action Plans on Climate Change, he said.

Noting that the young are the most crucial key to attaining a sustainable world but they are also “the most vulnerable group affected by climate change”, the Environment Minister said the young bear the least responsibility for the climate crisis but they are suffering its worst consequences.

“But there is also no denying that youth are valuable contributors to climate action. They are agents of change as innovators, entrepreneurs, and environmentally conscious individuals with a will to drive positive change. The young today are making best use of education, science, and technology to scale up their effort to accelerate climate action,” he said.

Yadav said the youth are using the agency to compel their government worldwide to bring sustainability to the centre-stage of governance.

“It is our responsibility to equip them with the right knowledge and skills to usher in the change. This right knowledge must infuse a blend of technological power and environmental sense. There is a need to recognise that we cannot tell our youth that technology can buy our way out of the current crisis,” he added.

Yadav emphasised that India is marching with the principle of ‘saving ecology and driving economy’ and he was glad that a global beginning is being made in that direction. “It is important that joint initiatives, aimed at building the capacity of youth as future leaders and driving forces of the climate regime, are undertaken.”

Kevin Frey, Chief Executive Officer of Generation Unlimited during his speech said, “We can proactively address the challenges of a climate-changed world by scaling up climate education, promoting green skills, fostering green job opportunities and entrepreneurship, and ensuring meaningful participation of children and youth.”

UNICEF, Generation Unlimited and partners have launched the Green Rising initiative at Dubai Cares-hosted RewirEd Summit on the first-ever COP Youth, Children, Education and Skills Day in a major drive to mobilize world leaders to scale children- and youth-led grassroots climate action.

Green Rising aims to unite leaders across sectors at COP28 to spotlight commitments to integrate children and youth as partners, influence policymakers toward a more youth-centred perspective, and encourage organizations to contribute their resources and expertise.

Yadav was accompanied by Dr. Rania Al Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt, Dr. Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment, Republic of Rwanda were also part of the launch of the initiative.