Gen Z is prominent at COP 27
I have attended every COP since 2009. Each year more young people (people under 35) participate in this conference. The presence of Gen Z at COP 27 is significant. One of the COP 27 thematic days last week focused on youth. The Global Center on Adaptation (gca.org), funded in part by Bill Gates, considers Gen Z and Gen X involvement in the development of climate actions as one of its top priorities. Some foundations provide financial support for young people from developing countries and the Global South to participate in COP 27. I meet many young people at the COPs and often talk with them about studying in the US - and I am always recruiting for OSU! Here is a link to an excellent BBC article that discussing the presence - and influence - of younger generations at COP 27. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/sci
The article you present is interesting because it highlights a common power dynamic; Greta Thunberg, a Swede, faces much less effect from climate change and also has much more fame and prestige as an activist, allowing her to be more picky about what events she chooses to use as an activism platform. Comparatively, for the young activists from developing nations, there is certainly more pressure to take advantage of every opportunity and platform for advocacy since they likely have less access to media attention. This makes COP 27 still attractive, despite the presence of oil and gas delegates or the human rights concerns present in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteRiley - thank you for sharing these insightful remarks. Greta Thunberg's activism has been a catalyst, and one can wonder if a single young person in a Global South country - e.g., Sri Lanka, Haiti, Fiji, Namibia - could have been the catalyst. Greta's actions received significant media attention. I recall her speaking at COP 24 in Poland (2018) when she was still relatively unknown. By Madrid (as well as Glasgow) she had a significant following (and security detail).
DeleteI am very happy to hear the increasing amount of young people taking action in climate change. When reading over the website I was interested in what Greta had to say about "greenwashing" because I had not heard that term before. After looking further into what that meant I am curious if you think that there is a lot of "greenwashing" going on at the current COP? Or do you think it truly is all environmentally friendly.
ReplyDeletehttps://news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1130317
DeleteI think this site explains what greenwashing means well and how it relates to the COP meetings.
Do you think that Gen Z's presence at COP27 is different from previous generations participation when they were at the age Gen Z is. How do you think this compares to, for instance, millennials interest in the climate during the early 2000s.
ReplyDeleteI must agree that with the addition of younger generations. They are the ones that will be living with the problem. The younger generations is willing to make the changes and it shows. The people are moving in the right direction. With these next generation what can they already be doing to help and lead the change?
ReplyDeleteIn the article you shared, the author really highlights the financial barrier to entry in this discussion. Of course oil and gas companies can afford to send their representatives, but the voices who have been affected by climate change are drowned out, even though they are the majority. It really makes you think about who is allowed into a particular decision making space, and one must always question who isn't there and why.
ReplyDeleteStudent id number is 934427394
DeleteIt's good to hear about the increasing presence of Gen Z at the COPs, especially as they will be the ones in political seats within the next few decades. I wonder if the future COP events will incorporate Gen Z delegates further, as it seems the introduction of the Children and Youth Pavilion was popular based on the BBC article.
ReplyDeleteDo you find that any Gen Z participants have different perspectives or insights than older participants? I wonder if any of the ideas from this generation differ from the ideas presented by others. I also wonder if they hold as much respect at conferences due to their age?
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that Gen X and Gen Z are the ones most prioritized by the Center on Adaptation, are millennials left out for a reason?
ReplyDeleteI believe that many of the reasons that climate action is a very important topic for many people in Gen Z is the fact that many of us experienced some effects of climate change in our formative years, years that are spent creating individual values and stances on certain issues. Especially when considering the reach of social media, the fact that we can see perspectives around the world, it encourages Gen Z to enact change with a higher urgency.
ReplyDeleteYou have been heavily emphasizing the fact that Gen Z has been so involved in cop 27, have the younger generations been this involved in the past? Or is it a more recent occurrence with this major turn out? Below is a quick article on some gen-z involvement at cop 27.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/gen-z-cop27/760031
Are there Gen Z speakers apart of COP 27? Or are most of the young people attending COP to listen and learn from the other people presenting? Are there any workshops/days that are specific for younger generations to learn how to become better advocates for the environment? Are there an opportunities for Gen Zers to get involved in besides attending?
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see that the younger generation is getting more involved in the COP, just as a higher percentage of gen x and z have participated in the recent elections. What do you think is the main difference between previous generations to now?
ReplyDeleteIt's incredible to see so many more young people people getting involved with climate action, especially like this. Traveling is expensive, and I know most people our age couldn't afford to fly halfway across the earth. The dedication is makes me more hopeful for the future.
ReplyDeleteHow would you say that the education about climate change differs from the US and other countries? A new perspective from studying in another country always seems like a good idea, so would you also recommended going abroad to learn how other countries think and manage climate change?
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad our generation is taking a stand on things that matter. Activism is so important in our society today, and it's amazing that it matters enough to people to spend time and money to educate themselves when it would be easier to just stay home. It inspires me to expend the extra effort to attend group meetings or start discussions in order to learn or help educate others.
ReplyDeleteI think it is so important that this generation is interested in climate change as we are the ones that will be responsible for finding a solution. I think its easier for people to listen to people of the same generation when it comes to issues surrounding our future
ReplyDeleteI think that it is awesome that more young people are wanting to get involved and it gives me hope for the future. Hopefully as more people get to voting age more will be done to lower carbon emissions.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Gen Z and Millennials will be important in fighting the overall climate crisis but I feel that the older generations need to join in too or else not much could be done. As this video helpfully explains fighting climate change is not possible by a group of small people but needs to be an effort made by every one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiw6_JakZFc
ReplyDeleteGetting more young Gen Z minds into fighting climate crisis can be very beneficial. They are typically more open-minded and willing to learn and adapt rather then their older counter parts. However, they don't always have the wisdom or credibility since they likely haven't been in the area for that long. So, there are pros and cons, but it definitely adds diversity, which is a valuable asset.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is especially important for young people (Gen Z) to be concerned with the issue of climate change since it is an issue that has intensified considerably during our lifetimes. Since this is an issue that we will grow up with and have to live with, facing and solving it needs to be a priority of ours. This generation is not afraid to take strong stands on what they believe in, which I am proud of. I have hope that the votes from this generation will lead to more action being taken through policy to combat climate change. By making an impact as young people in this world, we can create a brighter future for us all.
ReplyDeleteI think it's amazing that the COP 27 decided to include Gen Z in discussions about climate change. I feel like younger generations offer a new perspective on the climate crisis as we grew up learning about the horrific effects of fossil fuels and unethical practices. I also think it's a greater priority to the younger generations because the handling of the climate crisis directly impacts our futures. I found this interesting article by the Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/05/26/gen-z-millennials-stand-out-for-climate-change-activism-social-media-engagement-with-issue/. I found the article interesting because it included statistics such as a comparison between generations and their beliefs. For example, 69% of Gen Z and 71% of Millennials believe climate is a top priority issue (compared to 57% of Baby Boomers) . I also found it interesting that Gen Z of both political parties believe that climate is a major problem. The article found that 49% of Gen Z and 48% of Millennial Republicans believe that actions to reduce climate change need to be taken today, compared to 26% of Baby Boomer Republicans.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a very good thing that Gen Z is engaged within the COP summits, as they provide an entirely new perspective onto the issue, especially since they are the ones that will be living on the earth for years to come, and their futures are at risk. I think it is very interesting that Greta Thunburg chose to skip the summit because of "greenwashing," and while that may be true, I think that comes partially from a place of privilege, especially when compared to Ayisha Siddiqa, as her home country of Pakistan experienced devastating floods this past year, and her perspective on the issue is very possibly different from Thunburg's.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear that the younger populations are becoming increasingly involved in this sort of climate activism. I've noticed that as we age, the responsibility of tackling climate change shifts off the shoulders of the older generations and onto the new ones. It would be ideal if everyone worked towards common solutions, however, I recognize how difficult public perception is to change.
ReplyDeleteI also got a good read out of the article, and was certainly surprised to see Greta Thunberg's name mentioned. I remember first hearing about her when I watched a Ted Talk she gave in one of my high school classes. I found her comments about the climate summit to be interesting, calling it a "forum for greenwashing." I hadn't heard the term greenwashing before, but after some research it seems she uses the word to refer to "small, symbolic, very distant commitments that they then very often fail." I would interested in hearing your take on Greta's comments, how much truth does what she say hold?
On a lighter note, I really liked the one of the messages of the article; basically saying there are climate activists all over the world. Despite the different situations in which we live our lives, climate change provides a common goal for us all to work towards. In other words, a global challenge such as climate change can help unite us all.
Being involved in these summits is vital for our generation as it is necessary for our generation to address the climate crisis. I am pleased that over the years our presence has increased at the COP conferences. I do wonder how the level of respect people of the younger generation garner at COP and if it has changed over the years? I would expect that it has increased but I am just generally curious on what the feeling is surrounding the presence of young people as authorities to speak on an issue like the climate crisis.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I found it very interesting and rather inspiring, that these young people from all over the world were not only given a place at the negotiating table, but that each had a compelling reason to wish for change whether, personal, or for the collective good of their country. I hope that this trend of listening to younger audiences, and realizing that their words also have value is one that continues.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite important for Gen Z especially to get involved in things like COP and other organizations that promote ways to prevent further climate damage as we are the future. An article written by Bella Isaacs Thomas published by Portland Broadcasting Service (PBS) on November 5 of 2021 provided a poll of people ranging from 13 to 29 years of age on the climate crisis. They found that "many of them point to the multiple ways they believe climate change will affect their personal lives in the future". Unfortunately, I feel as though many people, no matter thier age, worry about the climate crisis and its affects on our future, but do not actually take action to help prevent it. However, I am glad to hear that so many younger people are interested in the climate crisis and want to take action.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/young-people-are-optimistic-that-theres-time-to-prevent-the-worst-effects-of-climate-change
I nice to see the younger generation get involved with an ongoing issue like climate change. With the increasing number of young people getting involved it makes me wonder if it has anything to do with gen Z targeted companies becoming more eco-friendly.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at first to see just how involved Gen Z was in the discussion on climate change, but after reading an article from CNBC by Amanda Mier (https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/12/gen-z-grew-up-with-climate-change-now-its-affecting-career-choices.html) I can see why Gen Z would be more motivated than other age groups to take action. The article refenced a concept that was actually covered in class, how something gains more meaning when it is officially named and when people hear about it more often. Since Gen Z has always heard about climate change, unlike previous generations, it feels more urgent and real. This goes even to the point where it impacts career choices and where people want to end up living. It was actually pretty eye opening to see this concept play out in the real world and see the impact it can have.
ReplyDeleteIt is always very exciting to hear that younger generations are being included in such important conversations. I think that a large part of why we are seeing more members of Gen Z being active is that we are the ones who will be experiencing most of the harms caused by the climate crisis. While Gen Z members are younger and have less life experience, people are seeing a need to get involved.
ReplyDeleteWhile the contributions of Gen Z in advocating for climate change and growing interest in the issue was very interesting to me. One phrase that stuck out to me from the article was the concept of "climate justice." The disparity in effects of the climate and access to resources to mitigate the effects.
ReplyDeletehttps://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/07/what-is-climate-justice/
DeleteI'm so glad that my generation is taking issues like climate change so seriously. This is something that will significantly effect us for years to come so being involved with organizations like COP now is what we really need. I wonder what changes we'll start to see in our everyday lives with Gen-Z moving into more political positions now and in the near future.
ReplyDelete