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The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) is an annual event where delegates from countries around the world negotiate global goals for tackling climate change, present their individual countries’ plans for contributing to those goals, and report on their progress. This year’s conference (COP28) will be held from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Action on climate: what do young people prioritize at the intersection of climate, health and gender equality?
Climate change can have significant impacts on adolescents around the world, affecting various aspects of their lives, health, and well-being. Addressing the impacts of climate change on adolescents requires a comprehensive approach that involves local communities, governments, and international organizations working together to mitigate climate change and build resilience in vulnerable populations.
COP28 is the first COP with a designated ‘health’ day and one of the first to have a youth-oriented pavilion.
On December 3 (5:05-5:12 pm [GMT+4]), the Population Council’s GIRL Center and PERCC Initiative, in collaboration with Women Deliver, YouthNet for Climate Justice, and and Latinas for Climate Justice will host a lightning talk at the Children and Youth Pavilion titled: Action on climate: what do young people prioritize at the intersection of climate, health and gender equality?
The event will include two co-presenters, Karin Watson (Latinas for Climate) and Sohanur Rahman (YouthNet for Climate Justice). Each will present on how climate is affecting the health of young people. Using a storytelling/narrative approach, we will highlight the downstream effects from a single extreme weather event, and the implications for young people’s health and well-being, with a gender lens.
The event builds on our recent youth co-led, qualitative research in Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria. Our research findings highlight how extreme weather events and ongoing impacts of the climate crisis cause a cycle of poor health and economic insecurity with long-term implications to health and future prospects.
For more information about activities at the Children and Youth Pavilion, visit: https://www.childrenandyouthpavilion.info
Relevant Research on Adolescence & Climate Change
The Population Council collaborated with Women Deliver to lead a participatory, youth co-led qualitative study to understand how adolescents view and experience the climate crisis in Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria. In each country, a graduate of the Women Deliver Young Leaders program teamed up with Population Council researchers to talk to adolescents and young people about how climate change is affecting their lives. Focus Group Discussions with a total of 196 AYP were conducted in the summer of 2022 and covered a range of topics from health to education to ways that young people are taking action. The research culminated into the following two briefs.
Brief 1: How climate change is shaping young people’s livelihoods and educational opportunities
Brief 2: The health effects of climate change: experiences of young people in Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria