In mid-November 2023, in the city of Praia, the extraordinary session of the Children’s and Youth Parliament took place in conjunction with climate action, bringing together young people from all the islands of Cape Verde.
But why an extraordinary session? Simply because 2023 was the hottest year on record, with the average global temperature rising by two degrees Celsius. To many, such an increase may seem minuscule, but it has colossal implications, including vast forest fires, extreme heatwaves, temperature records, extensive areas of marine warming and marked irregularity in rainfall.
Under these circumstances, Cape Verde was suffering the ravages of climate change, despite its tiny contribution to the global phenomenon. The need therefore arose for an extraordinary session of the Children and Youth Parliament for Climate Action to address the urgent needs of the Cape Verdean islands. During five days of laborious deliberations, the aim was to formulate strategies to mitigate the climate impacts that are plaguing the archipelago.
At the end of the day, the parliamentarians had to return home and wait for concrete action from the government, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment and the Climate Action Now initiative.
At the end of 2023, there were already rumours about the creation of a Children’s Academy for Climate Action. Preparations began soon afterwards. On 16 May, an email was sent inviting them to the meeting, which took place on 27 May. On 21 July, all the parliamentarians were already on the island of Santiago (except those from São Nicolau, due to the complexity of the transport), heading for the island of Maio, where they would be based to continue their work on climate action, addressing issues such as climate diplomacy, climate science and others.
During the crossing, we saw a group of dolphins. I don’t know how the others reacted, but for me it was an auspicious sign of the resilience of the marine biosphere, an indication that there is still hope.
But what is the Children and Youth Academy for Climate Action?
The Children and Youth Academy for Climate Action has been an extraordinary experience. Specifically, it is an educational programme aimed at children and young people, with the aim of intensifying action and raising awareness about climate change.
The academy essentially provides
Community engagement: Encourages young people to get involved in local climate action projects.
Climate education: Elucidates the causes and impacts of climate change, which are numerous and significant.
Effective leadership: Develops leadership skills so that participants can influence their communities and their surroundings.
Practical skills: Promotes activities that encourage sustainability and environmental conservation, such as a visit to the May Biodiversity Foundation.
In the same vein, I ask: what is climate?
Climate can be understood as the pattern of atmospheric conditions in a given region over an extended period. It includes elements such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and atmospheric pressure. It refers to long-term trends. There are different types of climate, such as tropical, arid, temperate and polar, among others.
We must not forget science, which is the systematic study of the natural world and the phenomena it contains, through experimentation and analysis. It is a continuous process of discovery that seeks to explain the workings of the universe by formulating hypotheses, testing them and developing theories and laws based on evidence.
Climate change (the central theme of this academy) can be understood as long-term changes in climate and temperature patterns.
During the academy, we were joined by three young climate leaders: Ilda, from Mozambique; Veronica, from Angola; and Joel, from São Tomé and Príncipe. We took the opportunity to have a fruitful chat with Veronica, covering topics such as the prospects for climate finance.
Prospects for climate finance
The outlook for climate finance is mixed, but there are signs of progress. The main source of funding comes from commitments by developed countries to support developing countries in adapting to and mitigating climate change. The target of mobilising $100 billion annually by 2020 has been significant, but not yet fully achieved. However, growing awareness of the climate crisis is driving more investment in renewable energy, clean technologies and sustainability initiatives.
New funding mechanisms include:
– Green Climate Fund (GCF): Criado para apoiar projetos de mitigação e adaptação em países em desenvolvimento.
– Investimentos privados: Há um aumento na mobilização de capital privado para projetos de energia limpa e sustentabilidade.
– Inovações financeiras: Como green bonds, carbon pricing e fundos de investimento sustentáveis.
Green Climate Fund (GCF): Created to support mitigation and adaptation projects in developing countries.
Private investment: There is an increase in the mobilisation of private capital for clean energy and sustainability projects.
Financial innovations: such as green bonds, carbon pricing and sustainable investment funds.
Challenges include ensuring transparency, efficiency in the allocation of resources and the reallocation of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energies.
Lessons from previous agreements such as the Paris Agreement
Lessons from previous agreements such as the Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement offers several important lessons:
- National Commitments: The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) approach allows countries to adapt their commitments to their realities, but also highlights the need for periodic review and increased ambition.
After this talk, we reached the final day, where everyone presented their projects. And I, Raquel Moreira, can assure you: it was a success in every way. Tiago, with his poem, and Laura, with her incredible voice, closed AcIJ. So everyone returned to the island of Santiago, taking with them knowledge, good memories and lasting friendships. And so ends the 1st edition of AcIJ.
Author
Raquel Moreira,
Ilha da Boa Vista and Student at AcIj