Two Luxembourg students attending the COP29 summit in Baku said they feel the youth voice is being ignored by world leaders.
Julien Lemmer Veloso, who attends Lycée Robert Schuman and heads up the country’s youth delegation at the summit, told the Luxembourg Times that “youngsters are here, but we are not at the table. We have the right to speak, but there is no chance to have a clear youth perspective.”
“Some islands may not exist in five years’ time. They also have youth, and their natural future does not exist anymore,” added Lemmer Veloso.
Lemmer Veloso and Maximilian de Pauw Gerlings, a youth delegate who attends the Lycée Athenée de Luxembourg, also said they believe that climate finance negotiations, designed to prevent and mitigate ongoing climate change disasters in countries affected, would not reach anywhere near its NCQG (new collective quantified goal) of US$1.2 trillion (€1.14 trillion).
National governments don’t listen to young people, so there is only so much COP can do
Maximilian de Pauw Gerlings
Youth4Climate Action Luxembourg
“The longer negotiations go on, the less likely that is. The last goal of 100 billion dollars isn’t anywhere near enough,” said de Pauw Gerlings, who added that he believes the argument that governments who spend billions will unlock trillions of private enterprise spend is over-optimistic.
“That doesn’t seem realistic or what we’ve seen in the past, but a lot of Western governments are leaning on that concept to try to justify less spending,” he said, citing speculation that the European Union is pushing only for $200-300 billion (€190-285 billion) spend on climate finance, less than a quarter of the goal.
Youth “not at the table”
Despite youth climate protests, Lemmer Veloso said the voice of future generations is “not at the table” © Photo credit: Lex Kleren
The climate finance budget will be spent on mitigation adaptation in countries and states affected by global warming, such as water barriers, but also investment in clean energy programmes, such as the building of wind farms.
Youngsters are here, but we are not at the table
Julien Lemmer Veloso
Youth4Climate Action Luxembourg
“Climate finance negotiations are happening behind closed doors, and most of the real negotiating is through WhatsApp chats and dinners, but we will get more insight later this week at the plenary sessions,” said De Pauw Gerlings.
Lemmer Veloso admitted the first week of COP “is always more technical, without ministers, and more an exhibition of what countries are doing. The second week is more concrete, with heads of states,” he said, adding he hoped for more progress.
Both delegates had first-hand experience of negotiators for countries questioning previously agreed decisions. De Pauw Gerlings was present in the climate and gender negotiations which addresses the fact that women are disproportionately affected by the impact of climate change.
“The final session was supposed to be last Saturday but it broke down, because at COP28 the UN had agreed on inclusive language, and states like Uganda, Saudi Arabia and even Russia were pushing back against that language,” he said.
“I hope that we can get a climate finance goal because there is no way it can be worse than $100 billion (€95 billion). It’s looking quite bleak but things can turn around last minute,” he explained.
No long-term solutions
De Pauw Gerlings said that COP itself has many youth-led forums, but that “national governments don’t listen to young people, so there is only so much COP can do. We need to change it on a national level.”
Stakeholders don’t just need to listen, but also implement suggestions, said Lemmer Veloso. “They may say we love youth, but then afterwards don’t do any of the suggestions,” he said.
Also read:Five Luxembourg students bringing country’s voice to the heart of COP29
Money and political will is what it comes down to, said De Pauw Gerlings.
“There is always a trade off if you want to invest in a green economy, you have to raise taxes, and that is never popular. If you want to build a wind farm, you have to do it outside someone’s house, and that is never popular. If you want to stop subsidising fuel, petrol prices will rise, and that is never popular,” he said.
The climate activist said that governments are short-sighted because election cycles are short, and they only look four to five years ahead. “Cheaper fuel is going to get me elected, not if I tell them their economy will suffer but in a hundred years it will be a lot better,” said De Pauw Gerlings.
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Publish date : 2024-11-21 04:18:00
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