Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders, and it is a critical issue that, without a doubt, requires international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels. To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the??reached a breakthrough on 12 December 2015: the historic?.
It includes commitments to reduce emissions and focuses on adaptation to the impacts of climate change while calling for strengthening obligations. In addition, the Agreement provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing ones in their climate mitigation efforts while creating a robust framework for transparent monitoring and reporting of countries’ climate goals.
Also referred to as the Paris Climate Accords, this agreement guides global efforts on climate change for decades to come. And it marks the beginning of a shift towards a?net-zero?emissions world. Implementation of the Agreement is also essential for achieving the?Sustainable Development Goals, particularly?.?
The Paris Agreement is an international legal document governing global greenhouse gas emissions. But in light of the severe impacts of climate change on human health and well-being and the ecosystems on which we depend, the Paris Agreement should actually be understood as one of the most effective tools for defending young people’s present and future quality of life.
Young people must understand the Paris Agreement to enable them to contribute to its timely implementation. And it is precisely because of the consequences of?climate on?human rights, that Dr. Yasmin Hamdi, in cooperation with Dr. Mazhar Elshorbagi, two young faculty members of , a United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) member in Egypt, decided to step in.
Both faculty members worked on and created a youth-friendly text of the Paris Agreement. Such text is aimed at helping young people know what governments have promised to do to ensure that our planet will be a good place for them to grow, be educated, and reach their full potential. Dr. Hamdi found that the most crucial challenge to climate action was the diminishing awareness of young people.
Such lack of awareness is primarily focused on their governments’ pledges to work to reduce CO2 emissions and to finance climate action for a sustainable future. Thus, the goal in creating this text was to share clear, concise, easily understandable information that describes the course of global, regional, and national climate action. Ultimately, the idea is for the youth to be prepared to take action.
The initial idea for this project came after Dr. Hamdi's participation and involvement in the fourth edition of the World Youth Forum that took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in January 2022. Coincidentally, in November of that year, the same city hosted the 27th Conference of the Parties of the?, also known as the COP27.
By breaking down each article and translating it into more common jargon, this text version provides details of the Agreement, its importance, and all its pieces in a simplified format. That way, young people can have a more meaningful and informed engagement and participation in decision-making concerning climate issues. Young people must be included in climate action, and their voices must be heard.
In fact, youth participation is a right that should be central to public policy formulation. For the exercise of such right,?this youth-friendly text provides insights so that the youth can progressively deepen their knowledge of all the topics discussed in the Paris Agreement. Moreover, their unprecedented worldwide mobilization has shown?their massive power to hold decision-makers accountable.
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, stated, “my generation has largely failed until now (...) to preserve the planet. It is your generation that must make us be accountable to ensure that we don’t betray the future of humankind.” Young people, as agents of change and innovators, are scaling up their efforts and using their skills to accelerate climate action.