Model COP Conference in the United Arab
Emirates For Middle and High School Students
What is COP?
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the big annual global event where countries of the world come together to progress collective action on climate change. COP26 is the 26th meeting, due to be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2020 but delayed by a year due to COVID-19. COP21, held in Paris, was seen as a pivotal moment for the climate movement, resulting in the Paris Agreement – a huge milestone in stepping up international action for climate change – but many of the COPs, both before and since, have been criticised by young people as missed opportunities and unambitious. Many young people accuse industrialised countries, individuals with vested interests and corporate lobbyists of watering down COP commitments every year for domestic or personal gain.
The youth of TODAY can sort out the issues of our TOMMORROW!
The Five Suggested Themes of the Model COP are:
Climate
Education
Climate
Justice
Climate Resilient
Livelihoods
Health and
wellbeing
Nationally Determined
Contributions
(the carbon commitments for each
country or negotiating bloc).
Proposal:
It is an amazing opportunity to show the world what would happen if young people ran the COP, whilst also equipping and empowering youth around the world to engage their political leaders in COP26.
Our Model COP will be run by young people and students involved in climate activism, supported by adults from youth-led organisations. Between three and five young people from countries all around the world will act as their country’s delegates and attend the two-day COP26 Conference, with each Group being given a Country or Block to represent, research and provide with viable solutions.
Each country’s delegation would make a two-minute high-level speech representing the views of young people from the countries they represent. We will look to reallocate time to amplify the voices of underrepresented people. A small number of leading and supportive climate scientists, ecosystem experts, economists, agronomists, health professionals, sustainable and circular businesses, global celebrities and world leaders will be invited to present so the conference is well-informed ahead of facilitated break-out and working groups.
The conference will culminate in a powerful but realistic statement and vision by the young people from around the world which would serve to raise ambition for COP26. The statement will be in two parts:
What leaders should agree to at COP26 2. What young people of the world should do in the absence of sufficient global ambition.
Take Action…..
Let’s show the world how it’s done. Together.
The youth of TODAY can sort out our TOMMORROW!