MISSION: POSSIBLE
In November, the most influential figures in the climate change movement converged on Scotland. President Biden was there. French President Emmanuel Macron was there. Pope Francis was there. And so was The Wild Center, and our Youth Climate Program. We sent six college students and recent grads, as well as three members of our leadership team, to Glasgow for COP26, the 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties. Our goals: To observe leaders from 197 countries address climate change, and to be sure those leaders heard youth voices loud and clear. We had a front-row seat, as our badges gave us inside access to panels and discussions closed to the public. (Only two museums in the world had the access we did.)
WHAT IS COP26? Addressing climate change takes an international effort. Every year, nations gather to negotiate rules governing greenhouse gas emissions and other topics. More than 20,000 people came to Glasgow.
WHY DID WE GO? The Wild Center is a leader in the climate change education movement. Since 2009, we’ve helped students host Youth Climate Summits in 45 communities in six countries, from the Adirondacks to Sri Lanka. Young people belong at the table when decisions on climate change actions are being made. Because soon, youth will lead those actions. In fact, our Summits and Summiteers have already driven significant change. In going to Scotland, we wanted to be sure world leaders kept youth in mind while hammering out pacts on carbon capture markets and other goals. But we also wanted our youth delegates to see how power works, network with other prominent figures in this space, and return home with new ideas and energy to carry out this work in their own communities. M 2
