Seal the Deal! - Youth Action on Climate Change

Seal the Deal! - Youth Action on Climate Change

In September 2009, UNEP with the support of UNICEF and several other UN agencies hope to bring together over one million young people to march across one hundred capitals to deliver to global leaders a petition on behalf of the world’s three billion young people.

The petition will be developed online and finally agreed to in Daejeon, South Korea at a Global Townhall for young people on climate change.

Organized against the backdrop of the world wide campaign on climate change “Seal the Deal”, the petition aims to ensure the voices of youth reach, and hopefully inspire world leaders to sign a definitive climate deal in Copenhagen.

“Seal the Deal” Youth Action includes a number of consolidated activities, that will be given high visibility through the media and online, during the course of the campaign.

* Children and Youth Conferences on Climate Change, Daejeon, South Korea (17 to 23 August 2009)

The Conference will bring together 750 participants comprising 550 children (10 to 14 years) and their chaperones and 200 youth (15 to 24 years). The theme of the conference is "Climate Change - Our Challenge" and will include two high profile events (a global townhall and a Global debate on climate change). The Conference will result in a plan for promoting individual actions on climate change.

1. Global Debate on Climate Change with political and business leaders (20 August 2009)

The participants of the Conference will have an opportunity to discuss climate change in a debate with political and business leaders and explore scenarios for the global community as well as the individual participants to adopt actions to address climate change.

Political and business leaders as well as senior UN dignitaries will join 1,000 participants of the Tunza International Children’s and Youth Conferences to discuss climate change and the various scenarios that governments, businesses and individuals should adopt to combat climate change. The children and youth will have an opportunity of debating with the leaders, why serious actions is not being taken by political and business leaders and what young people can do to engage their communities and leaders for serious actions on climate change.

Partnerships with major broadcasters and parallel online events will maximize the reach and impact of the events.

2. Global Townhall (20 August 2009)

The Global Townhall meeting will include all 1,000 participants of the Conference and virtual participants from over 20 cities around the world connected via webcasting. It will be organized with the support of UNICEF.

* UniteforClimate Online Campaign

UniteforClimate is an interactive social networking platform developed by UNICEF in collaboration with UNEP. It provides a platform for young people to learn, interact and share their thoughts about climate change and the action needed to combat global warming.

The soft launch of the platform will take in April 2009 while the main launch scheduled to take place on 20 August 2009 during the Global Townhall.

Young people will be encouraged to interact with scientists and decision-makers in an attempt to build their capacity and knowledge.

* Virtual Climate Wall

A Virtual Climate Wall will allow young people to articulate their concerns on climate change so the world can understand why the next generation feels it’s imperative to reach agreement in Copenhagen. This Climate Wall will be projected at UN headquarters during the General Assembly meeting on 22 September, and at the Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December.

* Global Action Week on Climate Change, 20 to 25 September 2009

Young people from around the world will be invited to join a Global Action Week on Climate Change from 20 to 25 September 2009. The Action Week is being organized in partnership with the world’s leading environmental NGO’s and coincides with the UN General Assembly Summit in New York on 22 September 2009.