Climate change: A youth perspective

Earlier, Dr Mark Collins, Director, Commonwealth Foundation, spoke about the Commonwealth perspective on climate change, and called for a big improvement in the communication of this issue.

Maybin Chilufya, from UN Habitat, Zambia addressed the issue of sustainable development, while Isa Matovu, Executive Secretary of the Uganda Youth Network, offered a youth perspective on sustainable development. He called for youth organisations at all levels to work with national governments and international bodies to combat further environmental degradation, help disseminate information on the subject through outreach programmes and seek to participate in trade, aid and debt relief negotiations.

Ivan Zammit, Malta

I became aware that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but crosscuts all areas of development and how it specially affects small islands which make up a significant proportion of Commonwealth countries. 

Stella Isa, Malawi

The presentation was good. I had thought about sustainable development before, but I had the opportunity to learn more.

Akankwasa Rogers, Uganda

This session shows how inquisitive and interested young people are – and it is only time which has let us down. I hope it goes on like this! 

Rajay Naik, United Kingdom

This morning's panel presentations were insightful and thought-provoking. They are clearly experts in their areas. For me, it has also shown the great responsibility we have both in representing our countries and coming up with a good communiqué to present to the Heads of Government on sustainable development and climate change. It was very useful to have the academic view and also the presentation by the young person who showed us that we, young people, have the greatest responsibility to make sure that these challenges are addressed properly.

Secretariat Links:

• Youth Affairs

Related Websites:

• CHOGM 2007