UKYCC The First 5 Years

uk youth climate coalition:

The ďŹ rst 5 years

uk youth climate coalition

uk youth for a clean, fair future

contents

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What is UKYCC

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Words from Co-Founders

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Words from Co-Directors

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2008 - The beginning

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2009

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2010

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2011

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2012

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2013

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2014- Onwards

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Being a Coalition

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Words from our Trustees

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International UKYCC

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How we work

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Training and workshops

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Our vision

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People who have been involved

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What is UKYCC? The UK Youth Climate Coalition aims to inspire, empower, mobilise and unite young people to take positive action on climate change for a cleaner, fairer future.

We were born out of the inspiring stories of other young people from around the world who were taking climate change action into their own hands.

UKYCC is run entirely by a team of highly motivated young volunteers between the ages of 16 and 29. We work together between other commitments to create a future which is happy, affordable, clean and safe.

We believe that to tackle climate change we need an inspiring vision of how we want the world to be and a movement that anyone can feel a part of. Everybody has boundless ideas for what this future might be like, but at UKYCC we place an emphasis on issues which relate closely to us young people, as part of a wider, cross-generational movement for change.

Those who have been involved for the last 5 years and who laid the groundwork before we officially came onto the world stage have been a big part of shaping the organisation’s personality. Their relentless drive, commitment and teamwork have achieved amazing things since UKYCC began.

These first 5 years are only the start of a growing youth climate movement.

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Words from Co-Founders

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It seems a very long time ago that we sat in a classroom at the University of Warwick and boldly wrote on the whiteboard, UK Youth Climate Coalition!

We had returned from a ten-day expedition to the Arctic the week before, and knew that the urgency of climate change compelled us to act at a new scale. We believed that bringing young people together to take action and pressure decision-makers could help to avoid the worst impacts of a changing climate. Five years on, and this commitment continues. With each new volunteer, we see young people working together to help safeguard our delicate natural world, and the people in it.

As young people, we come of age with a critical eye and a hopeful heart. We are unafraid to call out the injustices we see, and are fiercely inspired to do something about it.

We couldn’t be more proud of each individual who has helped make UKYCC the success it is. True, our impact on UN climate negotiations is small, and not every campaign is a successful one – but what we understand better today than ever before is that youth leadership isn’t just about the results that UKYCC’s campaigns and conversations leads to right now. It is an investment in a new generation of climate leaders who take their experience of UKYCC into their personal and professional lives wherever they go. It may have been the two of us who came up with a name (and a bad one at that!) and started the first Skype calls, but UKYCC is what it is today because of the hard work, generous dedication and tenacity of spirit of each UKYCC’er over the last five years. And with the latest IPCC report – I guess we’ve still got some work to do. Here’s to the next five years of UKYCC!

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Emma Biermann and Casper ter Kuile

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Words from Co-Directors

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I’m really proud of what UKYCC has given to so many individuals; skills, experience, a space to test ideas and tactics, friendship, a platform for a voice on the issues important to them, and a medium through which they can work out where they fit into the movement. I know I certainly got all those things from my time with UKYCC - to find myself building and managing a large organisation with multiple projects gave me all sorts of skills and experience that proved incredibly valuable as I moved on into new roles. I’ve made life-long friends too, and I look back on my time with UKYCC with incredible pride, a real sense of achievement, and with a huge smile on my face.

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Ellie Hopkins

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For me, we have achieved two incredible successes. Firstly, we have built an organisation capable of being the starting point for people wanting to take action on climate change that includes people of different ages, locations, political persuasions and - crucially people with radically different approaches to solving the climate crisis. Without such diversity, we would be ‘just another’ climate group - something we are not. Our second contribution has been to change the climate movement and make it accessible and real to everyone - not just traditional climate activists. Without that, we would (wrongly) remain a niche movement of stereotypes.

I will forever be proud of what UKYCC has - and continues - to do.

Against the odds, we have truly inspired, empowered, mobilised and united young people around a vision for the future. Now, more than ever, we must fight for that.

Alex Farrow

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From its inception to today, UKYCC has and remains driven by an amazing team of passionate young people, dedicated to taking positive action on climate change. The journey might not always be easy, but any of the struggles were always outweighed by the privilege of being part of such a brilliant team. I can’t wait to see what UKYCC achieves in its next five years!

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Jake Leeper

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It was a great honour to be UKYCC’s international Co-Director for a year - I learnt a huge amount from and with my team, and it was great to see us making an impact and particularly being a positive force within the international climate change community.

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Sarah Arnold

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Time and again we hear people say that being part of UKYCC has made them feel hopeful about the future and about what we can achieve together as young people. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, so I feel extremely proud of the time I spent as part of a small band of young people, who keep on recreating this optimism at every turn, always supporting and learning from each other. When ‘grown-up’ organisations cite us as an example of how things should be done, as they often do, that’s when I really glow!

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Isobel Tarr

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It’s a pleasure and a privilege to have been involved in UKYCC from the very beginning and to see it still going strong after five years. From Power Shift UK in 2009 to our campaign to keep climate change in the curriculum in 2013, UKYCC is still at the cutting edge of building an accessible and meaningful youth climate movement in the UK. In the current national and international political setting it’s needed now more than ever, so long may it continue.

Matt Williams

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It has been the most important and fun thing I have ever done, beating that one house party back in the summer of 2004; which did have its moments, but lacked the passion, conversation and future awareness of our lives.

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Everyone I have met on the UKYCC journey has been inspiring and incredible. I applaud them all and you should too.

Simon Howlett

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Words from Co-Directors

Joining UKYCC has proved to be a significant turning point in my life.

The impact of our community is not only shown through our passion, dedication and direct project outputs, but our ability to think and act different. Working in a non-hierarchical organisation is incredibly powerful, if we can work together differently we can and will bring about the change we need to see in the world. UKYCC is the beginning of a wonderful journey which challenges the assumptions of why our climate is changing and empowers us to fight back. Every day I feel like I am solving climate change. I have all the wonderful people who make up UKYCC to thank for that.

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Camilla Born

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UKYCC is my campaigning bread and butter - without the support and inspiration of fellow UKYCC’ers I might struggle in the daily fight to halt climate change. As our own teachers, facilitators, strategists, communicators and trainers we are always learning from one another and developing together. Its a pleasure and a privilege to help guide UKYCC and a constant reassurance that young people are central to stopping climate change and building a better world in the process.

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Francesca Carnibella

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I have thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed being part of UKYCC; I cannot think of a better way to spend my free time! All UKYCC’ers are so welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable and their passion for fighting climate change shines through every day. It is amazing how much has been achieved in only 5 years and if the same is achieved again in the next 5, UKYCC will be an even more incredible coalition.

Fin McNeill

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It began in 2008...

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In 2008, Emma Biermann and Casper Ter Kuile were selected to join other young people on WWF’s Voyage to the Arctic, where they learnt about climate change and saw its effects up close within the frozen tundra.

The UK Youth Climate Coalition was born out of inspirational stories of other young people from all over the world who were taking the issue of climate change by the horns, and with their energy, creativity and passion, making it into an opportunity you couldn’t resist. Of course we were won over and we wanted to do the same here in the UK

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What followed was a short time when UKYCC was made up of just 2 people. But the idea was infectious and other young people - friends and others already working on climate change issues - joined, creating a base of founding members and connected organisations who tasked themselves with going to the UN climate talks of 2008.

Poznan - COP14 The Otesha Project led this challenge, gathering 15 young people from around the UK who wanted to make a difference.

They all received top-class training from the likes of People and Planet and WWF and then headed to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) in Poznan, Poland.

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2008-The Beginning During their time in Poznan, the UK delegation got involved with two youth interventions, a negotiations speech and took a leading role in the Youth Pledge - which was included within the official outcome report of the negotiations. They also connected with 500 other young people who joined forces to write letters to all the EU Environment Ministers for climate action. Thus this COP also saw the birth of the European Youth Climate Movement (EYCM).

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2009 Think 2050 Following on from the successes of the delegation in Poznan and the birth of the EYCM, a group of young Europeans decided to go to one of the smaller ‘intersessional’ meetings (i.e. the meetings in between each of the big annual COP meetings) in Bonn, Germany.

Serendipitously UK delegate Kirsty Schneeberger asked another delegate ‘how old will you be in 2050?’ and before we knew it, it grew into its own campaign aiming to highlight that young people - who will still be alive and kicking in 2050 - will be most affected by the decisions that today’s leaders make about the climate. This went beyond the intersessional and started being used by young people worldwide as a hugely important tool in creating the perspective and vision that the older generation needs.

Powershift UK In October, UKYCC put on the UK’s most ambitious youth climate change summit. This brought together people from all over the UK; from different backgrounds, with different interests and with varying levels of previous climate change action engagement.

PowerShift ’09 was modeled on the sister events in the USA and Australia and succeeded in equipping and empowering young people to act on climate change within their local areas. The event covered public narrative, campaign skills and also resulted in a funky flashmob right beside Parliament.

350.org Day of Action CNN called it “the most widespread day of political action in our planet’s history” and UKYCC was a part of it. The delegation to COP15 went to the Angel of the North to help create this great photo.

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Copenhagen COP15 2009 is well-known in the climate change world for the COP15 meeting in Copenhagen.

The snow-bound conference was built up to be the big one and many can remember it being largely regarded as a failure in terms of the negotiations themselves. But for UKYCC, it certainly wasn’t.

a hug, and took part in the hundreds of actions that took place - from recreating the sounds of the forest to staging a sit-in.

Most importantly, the UK delegation talked to people, made friends, shared stories and cemented our place within the international youth movement.

nt for 15 minutes, before the lovely police turned up.

We sent a massive youth delegation to Copenhagen (23 officially, plus half of the UKYCC team ended up there). The delegation brought people together from all over the UK to take our voice to the UN and to join it with the voices of our peers to create a huge youth presence both inside and outside the negotiations.

During their time there the UK delegation also called on friends and family to ring Gordon Brown to tell him they wanted a deal on climate change (in the process shutting down the No. 10 switchboard), partied with the Kenyan delegation, gave Yvo (the Executive Secretary of the talks)

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2009

World wants a real deal Taking place halfway through COP15, TckTckTck’s day of action aimed to push world leaders to act. UKYCC got to work on leading the UK action with only 4 days until the deadline. We went on the streets carrying the ‘how old will you be in 2050’ message, did another flash dance outside Parliament, held a torch light vigil, and most amazing of all, we projected a logo right onto the Houses of Parliament for 15 minutes before the police turned up.

2010 Bank on the Future Connected to dirty fuel actions, UKYCC made a video showing how our money is used within the banking system to support unethical projects like Tar Sands and that just by moving our money to ethical banks we are making a huge difference.

This was a major idea, which we were unable to continue as it covered more than just climate change issues – but it did catch the attention of a few people who set up the very successful Move Your Money campaign.

EnTrust

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COP15′s outcome can be described as a hangover for climate change activists as it was hard for many to get back into the swing of things. But at UKYCC we decided to plough on with more projects than ever - no easy task!

Open House Series

In this series of talks, discussions and workshops took place around the UK, giving young people an opportunity to discuss issues like nuclear power, local engagement and the UN climate talks. It also allowed them to meet other active youth, join the UKYCC team and meet inspiring climate activists.

By placing the UK’s environmental resources (clean water, clean air, access to green and open space) in a trust, we place it under the Guardianship of the Government for use by future generations when they are old enough to do so.

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Of course, the idea and project of EnTrust was much more complicated than this simple description - it involved EU law, Trustee’s, PLC’s, LTD’s, UK law, policy-wonking, lobbying, coalition partners and a team within UKYCC. Unfortunately, by the end of the year it was decided the project would be put on the back-burner until a later date.

Adopt an MP

To keep climate change at the top of the UK political agenda, we set off to get every MP (all 650 of them) adopted by a young person - someone to check

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in with them to see if they were doing what trying to hide their carbon emissions and was needed for our future. were not putting a big enough emphasis on education.

This idea followed on from the success of the UNFCCC Adopt a Negotiator initiative, and was launched with a picnic right beside Parliament. By the end of the year 20 MPs were adopted.

DECC Youth Advisory Panel Following youth actions at the UN climate talks and DECC’s (Department of Energy & Climate Change) interest in the voice of young people, a Youth Advisory Panel of 20 youths was set up. They were tasked with travelling around the UK to look at the current energy sources as well as those that are on the horizon to create a report entitled Energy: How fair is it anyway?

Cancun COP16 COP16 really began in May in Bonn when it became apparent that countries were

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2010 By the end of COP16 in Cancun, Mexico, countries were being stopped from hiding their emissions, education on climate change was truly on the map and we created our most successful video ever with over 14,000 views.

Other highlights of 2010 included growing the team growing to 70 young people, becoming an accredited organisation at the UN, being part of a new citizenship textbook that launched with 10,000 copies and training over 250 European youth on Ganz Public Narrative.

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2011

In 2011 we wanted to raise the voice of In 2011 we wanted to increase the voice of youth on a national, European and international scale, apply lessons learnt in the previous years and try to do things we had never done before.

PowerShift Europe/ Push Europe In the Spring of 2011, Alex Farrow, Emma Biermann and Andy Hix started on an adventure across Europe (UK, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Spain, Germany and France) to build up the European Youth Climate Movement.

Not only were they aiming to train fellow EU youth in how to host PowerShift

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events, they were also gathering youth together for climate action (Push Europe) at the UNFCCC intersessional and beyond.

Following on from the success of the 2011 CV and 1 Cent campaigns, plus Durban in Brussels, Push Europe then became its own international organisation.

Powershift UK It had been 2 years since COP15 and it was high time to invigorate a new crowd of youth climate change activists. The stage was set for thousands of young people to join us for a weekend in Manchester, where we would train each other on public narrative, advocacy skills and team building, plus have a little bit of fun.

However, with 2 weeks to go, it was cancelled due to a lack of participants.

What followed was a period of reflection which taught us a lot of lessons.

TEDx Youth@Thames The TEDx Youth@Thames speaker conference event we ran with ZSL, Client Earth, Intergenerational Foundation, UNICEF and FDSD focused on the voice of youth today and in future generations. It involved 8 speakers, a packed out room by London Zoo, a camera crew and hundreds of other TEDx events around the world.

Durban in Brussels Following on from the efforts of Powershift Europe, Push Europe and our European Youth Delegations, we joined dozens of other European Youth in Brussels during COP17 in Durban to take part in workshops and create climate change actions within the heart of the European Union.Durban COP17 The UK youth delegation for this years COP1

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2011

Durban COP17 The UK youth delegation for COP17 in South Africa were a dedicated bunch, getting involved with the Robin Hood Tax campaign, policy wonking and the Kyoto Protocol.

The I <3 KP T-shirts became big hits with other youth, as well as organisations and negotiators; we also occupied the conference center with hundreds of others on the last day of the talks.

2012 After two years of doing many different projects, campaigns and initiatives - some of which were successful and some which were not - it was time to take a step back to look at everything and to assess how we would move forward.

We found that the things that made UKYCC great included movement building, facilitation, having a strong coalition and giving young people the opportunity to become a youth delegate at a COP. We therefore scaled down all of our projects, restructured internally and refocused on how we would connect with coalition partners, organisations and campaigns in the UK and internationally.

Youth for Green Jobs: Part 1 In March 2012 we launched the Youth for Green Jobs campaign during a rally against Government cuts. At a time when 1 million young people were unemployed - the highest level in a generation - the campaign aimed to connect solutions for solving both the economic and climate crises. We called for the Government to play its part in creating green jobs for young people; jobs in industries which are essential to creating a sustainable future (such as renewable energy) but ones which would also help address the shorter-term needs of young unemployed people. In other words we were calling on

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government to solve youth unemployment, rescue the economy and sort out climate change in one go.

As part of the campaign we travelled the country with the Campaign Against Climate Changeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s One Millions Climate Jobs tour; held workshops and outreach events in schools and universities; lobbied MPs through our special online letter tool; spoke on a panel with Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change and took our interactive I want to be board across the country to help get young people thinking about their future and the world they would like to live in.

Local Catalysts The Catalysts programme supports individuals to become leaders in climate change through local community action.

It offers training, resources and ongoing support as they participate in the locally-set youth climate movement in whatever way they choose. Our Catalysts include people in education (secondary school and university), people in and out of work, those already active in the sector and those for whom this is their first foray into activism. Our support is therefore very personal: we aim to have regular calls as well as a few training days in between.

This programme is a slow-burner, but one that we are learning a lot from. For a youth organisation made of volunteers spread across the UK, community engagement and outreach has been a difficult prospect in the past. Now by really supporting those that have a passion, we can show and strengthen the fact that young people are making a difference nationally.

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Share Programme To strengthen our relationship with coalition partners and the young people who work and volunteer with them, a share programme was set up to help us all share skills, knowledge, thoughts, issues and ideas in order to collectively strengthen all of our work.

It ran 4 times over the 2012/2013 period leading to us regain connections with coalition partners and active youth, so that we could then move onto what to do next with our coalition.

Qatar in Brussels Carrying on from last years European work, UKYCC headed back to Brussels during COP18 to facilitate and take part in workshops and to take action on the door steps of the EU. Doha COP18 COP18 took place in Doha, Qatar; a strange place to hold climate change talks as oil is cheaper than water within the region.

This did not stop the UK youth delegation from getting involved with actions, lobbying and policy-wonking; whilst also strengthen our ties with international youth, the Robin Hood tax campaign and the Kyoto Protocol.

2012

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2013 Youth for Green Jobs: Part 2 In 2013 the campaign joined other organisations to make the Energy Bill live up to its potential and create the incentives to catalyse investment in the green economy and green jobs. We joined other organisations at the Green is Working action in London and also handed a letter in to Number 10 Downing Street just to make sure the Prime Minister got the message.

We also held our own Day of Action in March 2013 and had events taking place across the country from Huddersfield to Norwich. Despite huge public pressure to demand that the Energy Bill included a target to have a near carbon-free power sector by 2030, 23 MP’s voted against it, making it one of the closest votes in Parliament ever.

Putting climate change back into the curriculum Word reached us in Spring 2013 that the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, wanted to write climate change out of the national geography curriculum for under 14s:

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So, we still have work to do to make climate change education what it should be, for a post-fossil-fuel world. After running a workshop at the Polka Theatre’s Planet & Stuff, a show all about climate change for young people, we were inspired to ask Gove out on a date to the theatre so that he could see what climate education should look like. While he kindly turned down the offer of a delightful evening with a UKYCC’er we are still pursuing him (we asked for a mince pie and mulled wine meeting at Christmas).

Putting youth and climate on the political agenda In September, UKYCC got into gear for the annual political party conference season. We got involved because we believe young people must be part of discussions about our future.

We spoke on a panel with MPs on the Green Vote and the Lib Dem conference (and were in the top 30 most influential tweeters), we chaired a panel debate on the green economy at the Labour party conference and met with MPs including the Shadow Energy & Climate Minister.

Warsaw, COP19 This COP was very much a coal COP, with fossil fuel companies financing the conference and infiltrating the talks. By the end it was seen as largely unproductive, with there being little or no commitments to finance. The UK Youth Delegation went into overdrive trying to rectify this; marching, raising the issue of intergenerational justice and pushing for divestment.

In the end, UKYCC joined thousands of others in walking out of the talks in frustration the day before they ended, stating that if progress wasn’t going to be made there, we will change the world ourselves.

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2014- Onwards In 2014, UKYCC will be working with Push Europe to set up a rapid response network, enabling youth groups across Europe to respond to political opportunities with co-ordinated creative communications that amplify our voices to show our governments weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re organised and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop demanding that they take urgent and ambitious climate action.

We will also become involved with community energy.

Supporting young people to take a valuable, active role in reducing energy waste and generating renewable energy in their communities. This is in connection with the Centre for Sustainable Energy.

And of course the fight for climate change education continues!

Being a Coalition UKYCC is a coalition of youth, campaigns, issues and organisations.

Young people working together and taking action shows that we are a coalition - a generation, even - of inspiring, engaged and motivated people.

The campaigns we have advocated for and added our voice to show the wide range of issues that climate change is related to; taxes, intergenerational justice, fossil fuels, biodiversity, deforestation, education, fracking, divestment, pensions, innovations, energy efficiency, cycling, shipping, health and food, to name a few.

The organisations we partner with demonstrate the diversity on which UKYCC is built. Some are very active in the area of climate change campaigning while some focus on other issues like youth empowerment, religion, health or human rights.

These are the organisations we have worked with, supported, became friends with and been inspired by:

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Word from our Trustees The Board of Trustees exists to help UKYCC work towards its strategic objectives of mobilising, uniting, empowering and inspiring young people to create a clean, just future. The Board ofTrustees is designed to take a longer term view and to have a clearer perception of the overall progress being made, enabling the strategic.

Those that make up the board are themselves inspiring individuals, bringing years of experience to UKYCC and are always open to chatting with any of the team about concepts, personal development and the climate movement itself.

UKYCC has had an incredible year, from showing the government that young people care so much about climate change that they're determined to keep it in the school curriculum, to taking part in the biggest ever walkout of civil society from the UN climate talks. The UKYCC is a great place for young people to come together to unite, inspire and mobilise each other - and older generations - to take action on climate change. I'm really proud to be part of a movement that is pushing for a cleaner, fairer future for everyone.

Neva Frecheville

I first got to know the UKYCC even before it was born, probably around the time when it was conceived. Back then I was at WWF, and helped communicate the Voyage for the Future, an expedition to the Arctic where Emma and Caspar represented UK youth, and from where they went on to start UKYCC. Maybe that's why I always felt a bit like a UKYCC godfather of sorts, and I guess becoming a Trustee was the obvious next step. I look forward to watching the UKYCC stay young while growing older, hopefully never losing the ability to speak the truth, which is probably the thing I find most inspiring about you(kycc).

Christian Teriete My daughter introduced me to UKYCC during her time with it. I saw young people who cared and were willing to stand up about their beliefs and feelings. You are our future and the world needs your enthusiasm and activism. So when I was asked to become a trustee I was proud to be able to help you to continue and develop.

You inherit the world and you must continue to fight to preserve it. You are my inspiration.

Jon Collins Our other Trustees are : Hannah Smith, John Ashton, Louisa Cas son, Joss Garman and Isobel Tarr

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International Work Building the movement

Delegation journey

One of the main focuses (and most fun part) of our international work is strengthening the International Youth Climate Movement. The IYCM is a broad term which can include any young person working on climate change around the world - so this means we get to meet and share skills with some of the most inspiring people of our generation.

Each year UKYCC recruits a brand new bunch of young people who are passionate about tackling climate change to join our delegation to the UN climate talks. With the conferences not delivering the results we need, this project is definitely as much - if not more - about the journey than the end result - through weekly Skype calls and training weekends the delegates learn campaigning skills, policy knowledge and how to fundraise for their trip.

Members of the IYCM come together at UN climate conferences to push for more climate ambition from the world’s governments. We’ve realised that these gatherings also give us a great opportunity to learn from each other and become more confident and skilled-up activists.

UKYCC organisers benefit from a wealth of training resources we’ve amassed over the years, so we’re keen to pass these skills on to build up our whole movement. We do this in person by running workshops at the youthorganised Conference of Youth that takes place in the same city the weekend before the yearly UN climate summits and other training events organised by youth movements throughout the year. We also stay in touch with youth organisations all across the world to see where we can help each other out by sharing experience or specific knowledge, and then create resources like our UN climate talks Prezis to put on our website so that they are available to everyone.

To keep it interesting (apparently not everyone lives for UN policy jargon..?) we try to make our training sessions as interactive and fun as possible: forget lectures and handouts, this is about social media-themed games of Connect 4, stepping forwards and backwards to learn about anti-oppression, and lots of colourful flipcharts filled with collective brainstorms!

We also know that the most important thing we can bring to the UN climate process is our passion and our determination - so we’re not afraid to get stuck in and learn by doing. We use the UN intersessional meetings that take place in Bonn, Germany in June as a training ground these talks are much smaller than the winter conferences and so offer a great, more manageable induction into the mad pace of the UN climate talks.

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Communicating our journey One of the hardest things about going to the UN climate talks is talking to people about it back home. Coming home after spending two intense weeks in a strange conference bubble, it can be really difficult to explain what we’ve actually done and to put such an emotionally exhausting experience into words - especially with family and friends.

However, we know this is an important opportunity to open up conversations about climate change with people who wouldn’t normally think about it - and the outreach activities we do, whether organising exhibitions, giving talks at schools and universities, or just having friends round for dinner, can be some of the most worthwhile experiences of the whole delegation project. In 2013 we partnered with the COP in the My City initiative, set up by youth organisation CliMates, to join a global network of young people bringing the climate negotiations to their local communities through various creative events to ramp up domestic pressure on decision makers across the world.

Our UK activities don’t stop when the delegation head out to the conferences either: other UKYCC organisers work with members of the international team to run a communications hotspot in the UK, helping the delegation to share their experience by pushing out their blogs and videos on our social media channels and organising open calls back to the UK. We also work with our coalition partners in the UK to share daily dares over social media. Since 2010, we’ve had Cancun Challenges, Durban and Doha Dares and Poland Pledges, which have challenged our social media followers to think about how climate change affects them and live more sustainably.

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How we Work Consensus decision making

Meetings, hand signals and twinkles!

It’s important to know that UKYCC makes decisions using consensus. This means that when we make a decision, everyone has to agree. This method can be more time-consuming but it means we have a stronger democracy, better outcomes and that we build trust among team members.

We use a series of hand signals during meetings to enable us to work together more efficiently and effectively.

Point (hand up) - I want to talk next!

Direct Point (directly pointing at the person speaking) - I want to address something you’ve said and I need to do it now or it won’t be relevant.

Clarification (hand in the shape of the letter C) - Used when somebody needs something explained - what does UNFCCC stand for?

Proposal (hands in the shape of the letter P) - to make a proposal - I propose we stop and go to the pub.

Technical Point (hands in the shape of the letter T) - anything technical we’re running out of time / the laptop has stopped working!

Twinkles (hands up waving) - an affirmation - I agree with what you’re saying/ good point!

Pint (hands motion drinking) - off track discussion - lets talk this over in the pub later.

Block (one raised fist) - objection to the proposal - stop, I don’t agree.

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Remote working, keeping in touch with Skype As a diverse team spread out around the UK, we keep in touch with weekly team calls, or with special calls to talk about particular issues, campaigns, training and any other business.

We use the same signals on Skype as we do in meetings, but instead of using hand signals, we type into the chat box.

Hat - Point DHat - Direct Point C - Clarification P - Proposal TP - Technical point Twinkles - Agree Gmail We use google based mail to run UKYCC emails and to help people understand the emails we send, we use subject indicators so that everyone knows what the email is for.

‘ACT:’ - If the recipient needs to do something.

‘READ:’ - If an email needs to be read.

‘REMINDER:’ - If there is a meeting coming up or if you need to remind someone of something.

‘RESPOND:’ - If you need a response within 2-3 days. ’UPDATE:’ - If you are letting the recipient know of your progress or if a weekly update is being sent.

‘URGENT:’ - If the recipient needs to give a response within 24 hours.

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How we Work Google drive

Training weekends

Once or twice a year (more for the Google drive is where we create documents to share, discuss and edit. It international delegation) we hold training weekends where we get together to share allows us to work collaboratively even skills and knowledge and usually have a few though we may not be in the same drinks. place.

These training weekends, as well as our workshops, are always full of games. Games that give us energy, break the ice and make Team Space is our internal web site where we store internal documents, tips, us become firm friends. All of these games further reading and guidelines. One day involve fun actions, body movements and we hope to make many of the resources laughter. For example, one of our most popular games is 'Ninja'. Standing in a circle, we externally available. take it in turns to use a ninja movement to knock each other out of the game by touchFacebook groups ing another person's hand. Other games include 'Zip Zap Boing', 'Penguin Dance' and UKYCC has an open culture of become friends online and in real life. So on top the ‘Human Knot Game’. of Google, we also have facebook groups which we use to keep in touch post-it-notes and up to date with what’s going on.

Team Space

UK Youth Climate connections - A group for all UK Youth Climate Movement coalition partners to share news and actions quickly between us.

Comms and Social Media Group This group was set up to promote transparency in UKYCC and provide a source for our external communications (especially social media). Lets us tell people what we are doing as it happens!

Catalyst Group - This group is for UKYCC Local Catalysts to communicate and share ideas, thoughts and projects with each other.

Funding What funding?

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Training and Workshops One of our strengths lies in facilitating and running training workshops which give young people the skills, knowledge and experience to be great campaigners, team members, communicators and project managers. This is a vital part of being a fantastic hard-working youth climate movement.

Public Narrative What’s it about: How to use your story to inspire individuals into action.

It hails from America, a tool widely used in community organising, Obama does this shizzle and UKYCC was one of the first organisations to “bring it over to the UK” way back in 2008.

What will learn: How to tell your personal “climate” story, how to apply the “method” to all different forms of communication and mobilisation.

Anti-oppression What’s it about: Learning about, and becoming aware of the power relations that shape our society, how these can sometimes be reinforced in our work and how to overcome these.

What you learn: Ever felt you speak too much or too little in a group? Ever wondered why? Ever contemplated how gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and other “social categories” might affect the way we work? This session looks into these issues and offers the opportunity to explore them in a safe space and identify ways of overcoming them.

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Social Media training What’s it about: How to effectively use social media for campaigning. This is more than just hastags.

What will you learn: A lot, including the difference between twitter and facebook, how to use each platform most effectively to how we use them as an Organisation.

Common cause - values based campaigning What’s it about: The Common Cause report and subsequent working group was borne out of research conducted by some of the UK’s leading NGOs. In essence it looks into how campaigning organisations can most effectively work (whether this be through communications, interactions with individuals or mobilising groups). The conclusion - be the change you want to see happen. How effective is it to promote sustainable living through promoting the consumption of so-called green products such as hybrid cars? Does such work really challenge the status quo and address the underlying problems that cause climate change? If not, then why does this not work?

Sound complicated? It is a littl...

What will you learn: Again a lot. It is an exciting and thought provoking workshop. It may feel daunting at first but it may alter how you see the world around you…

Facilitation (in the context of consensus decision making) What’s it about/what will you learn : Why facilitation is important, what makes a good facilitator and how you can become one too!

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Our Vision The UKYCC envisions a world in which…

Education

Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to a level that prevents loss of life, biodiversity and livelihoods, as identified by the latest science, as part of the transition to a just and sustainable society.

The UKYCC envisions a world in which…formal and non-formal education promotes an understanding of the issues of climate change and sustainability in young people, equipping them with the knowledge to apply this together in their daily lives.

Education promotes an understanding of the issues of climate change and sustainability in young people, equipping them with the knowledge to apply this in their daily lives.

Green jobs with fair pay and real progression opportunities are available to all young people as part of a strong green economy in the United Kingdom.

Energy is sustainable, equitable and renewable in supply and demand.

Public transport is designed around people’s needs, making travel easier, cheaper and more enjoyable for everyone and reducing emissions from transport to as close to zero as feasible.

All nations work together in a spirit of equity to limit global average temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, ensuring the survival of all nations and peoples and a clean, fair future for all.

Stepping Stones We are working towards the following as Stepping Stones to making Our Vision a reality:

The national curriculum prioritises a strong understanding of the scientific and ethical issues behind climate change.

Everyone has the opportunity to participate in sustainable initiatives in their schools, colleges, universities, other non-formal learning contexts and wider communities.

Education prepares and empowers young people to work in the green economy, providing the skills needed to take up meaningful green jobs for all.

Jobs & the Economy The UKYCC envisions a world in which…green jobs with fair pay and real progression opportunities are available to all young people as part of a strong green economy in the United Kingdom.

Access to training and education is fair and open to people of all backgrounds and ages, ensuring that the opportunities of the green economy are open to everyone.

New green jobs are created in all sectors, supported by investment, innovation and legislation.

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Everyone is supported to be a part of the transition to a green economy, including provision for individuals to make their current jobs and workplaces more sustainable.

Further research, development and investment in infrastructure paves the way for large-scale deployment of innovative low carbon transport, such as electric and sustainably fuelled vehicles.

Energy

International

The UKYCC envisions a world in The UKYCC envisions a world in which…energy is sustainable, equitable which…all nations work together in a and renewable in supply and demand. spirit of equity to limit global average temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, ensuring the survival of all There is fair access to energy, advancements in energy efficiency and nations and peoples and a clean, fair future for all. new renewable energy technology.

People have the information, The UK fulfils its potential to lead within understanding and tools to empower the EU and globally in international them to reduce their energy usage at climate negotiations and beyond. home and in the community and use The EU takes a lead internationally to energy more efficiently. adopt science-based targets on emissions reductions, taking into account their People are helped to live fun, comfortable and healthy lives without historic responsibility for greenhouse gas needing to consume large amounts of emissions. energy.

The UK plays its part in ensuring a fair solution to climate change by providing Transport finance and technological support for action on climate change by less The UKYCC envisions a world in developed countries. which…public transport is designed around people’s needs, making travel easier, cheaper and more enjoyable for The UK takes responsibility at an everyone and reducing emissions from international level for its carbon emissions inside and outside the UK, transport to as close to zero as including accounting for international possible. transport emissions, overseas manufacturing and emissions ‘sold’ to others Our streets are safe and enjoyable, through carbon markets. designed to allow people to walk and cycle easily for the journeys we do These Visions and Stepping Stones are every day. put forward by UKYCC as an independent organisation, and whilst they have been There is better investment and coordination of the UK’s public transport shared with our partners for network, in both urban and rural areas, collaboration, they do not necessarily reflect the views of our partner creating a public service which is organisations. affordable for all.

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People Involved UKYCC has a rich history, with over 100 young people being involved and actively being part of its teams, actions and campaigns. We hope that all those who have been involved are listed here. If you are not, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry!

We still love you and will give you a hug as compensation.

Casper ter Kuile, Emma Biermann, Ben West, Craig Ferriman, Kate Shayler, Anna Collins, Kirsty Schneeberger, Matt Williams, Amy Mount, Katie Roberts, Daniel Vockins, Malachi Chadwick, Jo Clarke, Liz McDowell, Jamie Andrews, Adam Weymouth, Lizzie Gawen, Isabel Bottoms, Emily Cousins, Emma Brett, Ellie Hopkins, Eloise Lewis, Dan Brooks, Jeremy Dresner, Tom Smith, Rob Clews, Sophie Barnes, Femi Fagunwa, Joe Blakesley, Andy Tonner, Owen Everett, Sara Johnson, Sean Rose, Sophie Newman, Darran Martin, Joss Petrie, Issy Cooke, Amber Donebauer, Hannah Smith, Sam Cash, Chris Walker, Josh Sonick, Vicky Barron, Aashak Naik, Niel Bowerman, Isabelle Ellis-Cockcroft, Guy Shrubsole, Gemma Bone, Will Bugler, Guppi Bola, Hanna Thomas, Emilia Melville, Darran Martin, Adam Tyler, Lewis Merdler, Sarah Irwin, Jerri Butler, Nic Seton, Dave Grimwood, Alex Farrow, Simon Howlett, Neva Frecheville, Morgan Hamilton-Griffin, Jake Leeper, Chris Ibbett, Raj Malhi, Izzy Tarr, AnthonyFord-Shubrook, Danny Hutley, Andy Hix, Eleanor Beton-Gunn, Thomas Sutton, Chris Hardman, Sam Mudie, Thomas Lafford, Anna Durdant-Hollamby, Tills Henderson, Laura Daniels, Katy Belben, Rosie Bayley, Becki Wilson, Daniel Key, Sam Gillick, Elizabeth Anderson, Cat Stace, Charlie Taylor, Chris Donaldson, Chris Kerrison, Jess Churchill, Joe Thwaites, Peter Ritchie, Camilla Born, Thomas Youngman, Lucy Patterson, Louisa Casson, Francesca Carnibella, Kristina Diprose, Jamie Peter, Fatima-Zahra Ibrahim, Sophie WainWright, Francesca Anne, Luke Hughes, Sarah Arnold, Dave Williams, Cat Hudson, Mark Stickling, Felicity Tozer, Geoff Archer, Barry Mc Carron, Hannah-Rebecca Joy Guscoth, Clarice Hilton, Helen Markides, Sarah Riddick, Clare Linton, Finlay McNeil, Charlie Hanks, Sophia McNab, Greg Hewitt, Laurence Watson, Adam Dyster, Paul Tobin, Nick Beall, Liam Upson, Cressida Mawdesley-Thomas, Zoe Conn, Reuben Chesters, Ronagh Craddock, Matt Sellar, Lizzy Clark, Nick Sanderson, Millie Darling, Flick Monk, Freya Palmer, Emma Renowden, Rachel Haycock, Robyn Haggis, Gitika Bhardwaj, Anvi Mirdul along with many, many more

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