For Immediate Release
Date: 18th of October 2024
The Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC), a network of over 1,300 young climate advocates from more than 90 countries, has launched its official demands for The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP29). COP29 will serve as a pivotal platform for negotiating international climate policies, advancing climate action, and fostering global cooperation to achieve a sustainable and resilient future. COP 29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November 2024.
Our first sets of demands were launched before COP 26 and we have since campaigned for the establishment of an additional, adequate, new, and accessible finance mechanism to address loss and damage for the frontline community, especially in the global south through the #LossAndDamageFinanceNow! Campaign. Through the campaign, we have mounted pressure within and outside UNFCCC negotiation and have since recorded the attainment of key milestones such as the establishment of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, Santiago Network for Loss and Damage, Loss and Damage Grant Making Council, etc.
This year, our COP29 demands were a product of global consultations, experts review, and review from the members of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition which produced two key documents that distill the voices of young people into actionable demands for COP29 one for the general public and another with technical languages under climate politics.
We call on individuals (youth, children, elders), organizations, and leaders from around the world to stand with us by signing the shortened version of the demands which is a concise 5 point demands on loss and damage from the general demands and technical demands. The global youth demands are backed by nearly 70,000 signatures already and represent a critical roadmap for ensuring that COP29 delivers ambitious outcomes.
Deirdre McArdle, Climate Justice Manager at Trocaire: “We at Trócaire stand with LDYC and support their demands for COP29. LDYC is driving a global movement that is pushing for ambitious and transformative change, raising the voices of young people for clear and comprehensive action is critical. We support the voices of young people and call on others(individuals, orgs, govts) to sign these demands to help shape negotiations at COP29 in Baku”
Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen: “As we approach COP29, it’s critical that world leaders respond to this pivotal moment with urgent and ambitious action. Global Citizen proudly supports the demands of young climate advocates for concrete commitments on loss and damage, adaptation, and a future free from fossil fuels.
To achieve true climate justice, we must not only mobilize new funds but also ensure these resources reach frontline communities, particularly through direct grants for adaptation. By fulfilling their financial commitments and embracing innovative solutions like global solidarity levies, governments can provide essential support where it is needed most. Together, we can forge a path toward a sustainable future, protecting those on the front lines of climate change and delivering the urgent action our planet demands.”
Stu Solomon, Resilience Advisor at Plan International Canada: “LDYC has, and continues to, highlight the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis on children and young people. By providing clear and tangible actions for Parties to adopt during COP the coalition is ensuring that voices of young people are heard and included in key decisions. These calls to action outline commitments negotiators and Parties can undertake to support intergenerational and gender justice. We welcome these youth voices and look to support and amplify their demands.”
Alokita Jha, YOUNGO Loss and Damage Working Group Contact Point: “Youth are critical in shaping policy, as they have been in the past and will continue to be in the future. When assessing loss and damage, it is essential to ensure that young people are given a voice in the discussions, particularly around the allocation of funds related to it. Youth must have a central role, the platform to express their opinions, and the opportunity to actively participate in these processes.”
Nils Michalke, Europe Focal Point for LDYC’s Steering Commitee: “As youth from the Global North, it is very crucial for me that our Global North Governments pay up for Losses and Damages they cause. The concept of liability for damages is an integral principle of our German law so it is time to also bring it to the international climate stage”.
Nicolas Gaulin, Global Coordinator, Loss and Damage Youth Coalition: “At COP28 in Dubai, the LDYC shared ten simple demands. This year, following numerous consultations with young people around the world, the simple ten have ballooned to nearly 30 demands requiring ever more urgent action. The tripling of demands reflects a growing existential anxiety from present and future generations faced with intensifying climate extremes. We must put an end to billionaire-funded misinformation, ecocidal extractivism, and delay tactics employed by developed nations to undermine credible and meaningful climate action. And most importantly, those with the historical responsibility for emissions must pay up for loss and damage. It’s time to stop hyper-fixating on U.S. dollars, and time to start focusing on human lives”
Contact the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition via lossanddamageyouthcoalition@gmail.com for any inquiries