Young Leaders Issue Declaration on Climate Change
From August 17 to 20, 2009, young leaders from across Canada gathered in Inuvik, Northwest
Territories, for the Young Leaders' Summit on Northern
Climate Change.
On August 20, the 60 young Canadians who particpated in the summit issued a declaration that laid out a call for action on northern climate change.
The declaration highlights four areas of concern about the progress of climate change issues and upcoming negotiations and concludes with a call for action. For more information:
- Read the media release.
- Read the declaration.
- Read participant Emily Slofstra's article, "Futile to ignore manmade climate change," about the summit and northern climate change.
- Read participant Joel Hilchey's newsletter article about the summit and climate change.
Final Report Now Available
The final report from the summit, including notes from the sessions and action plans, is now available.
- Read the final report.
Summit Presentations Cover Key Climate Change Issues
From communicating about climate change to climate change adaptation, presentations at the summit covered a 
range of topics. Notes from the presentations are available here:
- "Carbon Neutral North: Northerners Taking Action on Climate Change," presented by Andrew Robinson, Arctic Energy Alliance.
- "Climate Change Adaptation 101," presented by Susan Evans, WWF-Canada, and Ryan Hennessey, Northern Climate ExChange.
- "Climate of Change in the Arctic," presented by Bernard Funston, Arctic Council.
- "Communicating Climate Change Through Storytelling," presented by Jen Grant, Pembina Institute.
- "Northern Terrestrial Ecosystem Responses to Environmental Change," presented by James Hudson.
- "Old Crow Food Security Options Project," presented by Katelyn Friendship, Arctic Health Research Network-Yukon.
- "Rocking the Climate Policy Process in Canada and Internationally," by P.J. Partington, the Pembina Institute.
- "Spatial and Temporal Patterns and Hydroclimatic Controls of Break-up in the Mackenzie Delta, NWT," presented by Holly Lynn Goulding.
Northern Leaders Represented at Summit
A number of northern dignitaries attended the Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change, including:
- Dennis Bevington, Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic
- Chief Herbert Blake of the Inuvik Native Band, President of the Nihtat Gwich'in Council
- Michael Miltenberger, Government of the Northwest Territories Minister of Environment and Natural Resources
- Richard Nerysoo, President of the Gwich'in Tribal Council, former Premier of the Northwest Territories
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Inuit climate change activist, provided an
address by video to the summit attendees about the importance of
northerners communicating climate change impacts to the world.
A number of the delegates had the opportunity to speak with Floyd Roland, Premier
of the Northwest Territories, as well as Inuvik Mayor Derek Lindsay and Inuvik Deputy
Mayor Chris Larocque.
A number of other leaders and dignitaries were invited to the summit but unable to attend, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Several leaders who could not attend sent their best wishes for the success of the summit:
- Letter From the Commissioner of Nunavut
- Letter From the Premier of Nunavut
- Letter From Member of Parliament Larry Bagnell
- Letter From the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
