Create a Youth Statement

Youth Statement challenge

During the conference the young people involved in COY16 create a statement of their demands and recommendations. The statement will have input from young people all over the globe from different nationalities and backgrounds. Youth organisations have been encouraged to get involved and create their own pledges. Here at Woodcraft we are encouraging all of our groups to get active!  We want to challenge all of our groups to fight against the climate emergency and create their own statement. Woodcraft will then send on the statement to be included in the national statement.

This activity will help you write your statement by providing an outline of how to structure your statement.

Instructions 

Create a statement as a group to present what you would like to come out of the COP26 conference. These youth statements will provide you with the best chance to influence crucial decisions. It should lay out what proposals and demands you care about. This statement should focus on what environmental change. You would like to see within your local area as well as on a global scale. 

Things to include in the statement 

1. Why are you making the statement: outline why you have chosen to write this document and why it is important to you.
2. Why you should be heard: Why does your group/organisation deserve a voice on these matters e.g. Woodcraft is an organization focused on education and social change, with one of the fundamental goals being fighting for climate action. 
3. Talk about your community: Include ways in which environmental conditions and impacts of climate change are affecting your community 
4. What are the gaps and challenges: identify specific gaps and challenges in your national governance and things which need to be addressed in your community in regards to environmental impacts 
5. Who are you part of: Include wider global movements/ communities e.g. YOUNGGO, IFM-SEI etc) we are involved in. 
6. What do you want: Make clear what you want to see happen and how you want the issue to be addressed 
7. Timeframe: include the time within which this should be accomplished and the effect of what would happen if the goal is not reached 
8. YOUR COMMITMENT: finish with the commitments your group/organisations are taking in your community. 

When outlining your demand it is important that you identify issues, gaps and challenges found within your community. As well as what you would like to do both local, nationally and globally.

Your demands can draw inspiration from existing themes of COY such as: Calling for clean energy, transport, restoring ecosystems, climate finance and so forth. Try to think of areas which fit the context of your community/country level. What is an environmental issue together as a group you care about fighting?

Take it further 

Now that you have written about what action you want to see happen can you take action and make an energy action plan or encourage others to take action by making a film or animation explaining the greenhouse effect.