Young people have a major stake in climate change action. The outcome of the upcoming international climate negotiations will largely determine whether or not the world will be able to avoid dangerous climate change. Youth are already taking significant action at the international level on climate change.
So far, however, there has been limited discussion in the North about climate change policy. At this critical moment, there is an urgent need to strengthen and support the network of young leaders in the North concerned with climate change, and to connect this network with national and global youth movements. The world will be looking to the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this December, and young leaders must be ready to make themselves heard.
The Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change was designed to help participants build their leadership skills; learn to effectively communicate the impacts of climate change in their communities and around the world; connect with youth across the North and around the globe and learn how young people can influence policy; create a set of recommendations for climate change negotiators at the United Nations talks; and to stimulate stronger climate action by leaders in the North.
Agenda
The action-packed four-day summit included a mixture of outdoor field-trips, indoor lectures and participatory activities. The agenda is available here:
Green Event Plan
The summit co-hosts prepared a Green Event Plan to minimize the environmental impacts of the Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change. The summit hosts are striving to achieve a carbon neutral event and to reduce or eliminate any negative environmental consequences of the event.
As part of the Green Event Plan, carbon offsets were purchased to address greenhouse gas emissions associated with the summit. The Carbon Offset Certificate covers the round-trip travel of nine facilitators to the event, as well as the electricity used to operate the Midnight Sun Recreation Centre in Inuvik during the four-day summit.