On September 25, 2020, the Global NGO Executive Committee co-sponsored the Localizing Climate Justice Conference Series Launch (LCJC) virtual event. The event was organized by the team of youth climate activists behind the Global Youth Climate Action Declaration (GYCAD), including GNEC Directors Nadine Clopton and Annie Deng.
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The emphasis on climate justice for the series is intentional and echoes the voices of movements around the globe calling for justice across a myriad of issues. Climate justice is a more regenerative, inclusive, and comprehensive approach to climate action. It begs the question: how can we ensure that our solutions do not create a deeper web of challenges for those whose cries go unheard in decision-making bodies?
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Climate justice is an inherently intergenerational issue and aligns with the mission of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 1987 Brundtland Report, also known as Our Common Future, defined Sustainable Development as “the human ability to ensure that the current development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It is impossible for climate reform to have the impact that is needed if our existing solutions do not strive to create a viable future for the generations to come.
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Speakers at the LCJC Launch shared their unique perspectives on climate justice in their own communities in Brazil, Egypt, India, the United States, and Namibia. Multiple panelists spoke of their deep gratitude and respect for Indigenous communities. As the keepers of ancient wisdom about living in harmony with Mother Earth and the most delicate parts of an ecosystem, those who live in reciprocity with nature are natural leaders in shaping best practice environmental policy.
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Especially in a time where we have exceeded numerous planetary boundaries and are on course to exceed more of them, the integration of localized knowledge about the ecosystem into policies and institutions that hold decision-making power is critical to our survival as a species. The Indigenous relational perspective of Mother Earth as a living, breathing being must make its way into decision-making bodies, colloquial language, policy structures, and our education as global citizens.
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Subsequent live sessions of the LCJC Series will parallel the sections of key climate policy recommendations co-created by youth climate activists in the Global Youth Climate Action Declaration (GYCAD). The GYCAD is a set of 77 key climate policy action items co-created, defined, and refined by young climate activists from around the globe. The intention of the GYCAD is to serve both as a knowledge platform & as a climate policy toolkit that empowers people to make climate action a tangible reality in their home communities.
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The next event in the LCJC Series (date & time TBA) will focus on Nature-Based Solutions and how climate justice can be achieved through regenerative, Earth-centered policies. The event recording of the LCJC Series Launch that took place on September 25, 2020 can be watched here on YouTube or Facebook. Stay tuned to learn how you can participate in the next LCJC Series event and please reach out to nadine@gycad.org if your NGO is interested in getting involved!
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Nadine Clopton
Board Membner, GNEC