Facilitating the Voices of Young People at COP26

A group of students from Edmund Rice schools in England will attend the Conference of Youth (COY16) in Glasgow from 28th-31st October at which they will present a statement on behalf of Edmund Rice Schools in England, India, Uruguay and the USA and young people in Bolivia, which will become part of the global youth statement that will go directly to policymakers at COP26.

A further group of 12 students will also participate in the Green Zone events at COP26 on 8th November at which copies of the statement representing the global schools network will be distributed.

Other related initiatives involving Edmund Rice schools include the Edmund Rice Education Australia Climate Crisis Statement  and the recent ERth Summit, organised by PRATYeK (India) and supported by Edmund Rice International, which provided an opportunity for several hundred child activists from a range of countries to voice their concerns about the environment, particularly the current climate emergency.

Following presentations from panelists and interactive discussions among the participants over the three days of the summit, a list of recommendations was prepared ahead of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow.

Commenting on the summit Peadar O’Hubain, from the Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi stated “This is an extremely timely discussion ahead of COP26. Your leadership in climate action is vital” whilst Ms Deirdre Boyd, United Nations Resident Coordinator, India, who presided over the culmination ceremony marvelled at the work done by PRATYeK & NINEISMINE and stated “Climate change is no longer a threat 100 years away, it is already here. Children and young people are not just victims. You are the future to bring change”.