Global Social Leaders reported LIVE from COP26, the 26th UN climate change conference in Glasgow, from the 2nd – 5th November.
We used this incredible opportunity to amplify youth voices, capture unique and inspiring stories, and make a meaningful contribution to one of the world’s most important conferences of all time.
Global Social Leaders spoke at the After the Pandemic Youth Hub on the afternoon of Wednesday 3rd November. This was a hybrid event, being delivered to a live audience of students, educators and members of the public at The University of Strathclyde Union building in Glasgow city centre, but was also available to watch online.
Two incredibly passionate members of the GSL movement spoke as part of this event, sharing their stories of climate action and how they are making a difference in their communities. Cherry joined us from South Korea, and Tanasha from the Philippines. There was an opportunity for questions from the audience at the end. Both students spoke at the Creative Bravery Festival at the beginning of October. Find out more about them and their talks below!
Thank you to Daydream Believers who are a leading organiser at After the Pandemic, and who invited us to share the stage with them at COP.
Event address: The Venue, Strathclyde Union, 51 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XU
Date: Wednesday 3rd November
Time: 14.30 – 15.30 GMT
Cherry Sung
Youth Environmental Activist, South Korea
About Cherry:
Cherry Sung is a 15-year-old youth environmental activist from South Korea, is the winner of the GSL 2020 Global Goals competition and one of the 2021 International Young Eco Heroes. She takes action for carbon neutrality and resource circulation with an overarching goal of youth empowerment. As the founder of Greener is Cleaner, a youth-led organization fuelled by “people-power” that leads by example to empower youth worldwide to take action for the environment and thus their futures, Cherry hopes that youth can become more involved in decision-making for their own futures.
Summary of After the Pandemic Youth Hub talk:
Youth activism is at heart of creating change in the community or the system, leading change and inspiring and empowering others. I jumped on the youth activism journey at age 12 and founded a youth-led organization called Greener is Cleaner. By working towards a common good that will also benefit myself, I learned that taking action is a way to explore my true, potential self. During this uncertain pandemic era, we should look ahead to the future of Earth with keen minds. What can you do today to start your changemaker journey?
Tanasha Soneji
Youth Environmental Activist, The Philippines
About Tanasha:
Tanasha Soneji is the 18-year-old founder and leader of “Planeta Verde”, an environmental student-run organization in the Philippines that connects businesses and restaurants to sustainable packaging companies. Planeta Verde ended up reaching the semi-finals in the GSL 2021 Global Goals competition. Tanasha has been involved in Model UN conferences and World Scholar’s Cup events, from which she gleans communication skills that are used in holding talks at her school and a variety of other events. Tanasha also creates educational videos that break down complex scientific concepts to encourage the youth to find interest within topics of science and the environment.
Summary of After the Pandemic Youth Hub talk:
With climate change feeling like an inevitable phenomenon to most, there’s little hope on whether environmental damage can truly be reversed. I’m here to argue that this damage can be reversed, only if everyone — industries, governments, and individuals — believe in cooperative action to facilitate change. I will be talking about how this prompted me to launch my own environmental organization and why I continue this initiative. I will be highlighting the role effective communication plays in bringing awareness to global issues, and how the youth can use their privilege through various online platforms to build opportunities for themselves to teach and learn from others. Lastly, I will be discussing what you can do to start your own endeavor that impacts your community in a positive way, eventually benefiting the world in the long-run.
#GetOnWithIt with Pechakucha @ After the Pandemic Youth Hub
Daydream Believers, in collaboration with PechaKucha, have created a #GetOnWithIt Challenge and hosting a space in Glasgow with After The Pandemic, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and LEGO, during COP26 – for young people to share their ideas for a better future and to demand from world leaders, policymakers, older generations, and even your own parents to finally GET ON WITH IT and start saving our planet!
On Wednesday 3rd November, we will attended their live event in Glasgow to discover how young people have taken on the challenge.
Find out more about #GetOnWithIt here.
The Power of Knowledge: Girls’ Education as an Accelerator of Climate Action
Taking place on Thursday 4th November, this Think Tank panel discussion answered the questions; How can girls’ education be nurtured in the specific context of climate action? How can schools introduce the climate challenge as an opportunity for future leadership and women-led innovation?
We heard from Leah Thomas (Intersectional Environmentalist), Malala Yousafzai (Malala Fund) and Vanessa Nakate (Generation Climate Initiative and Climate Justice Activist).
The Great Big Lesson for Climate & Nature: Live from COP26
The Great Big Lesson for Climate & Nature was a huge and interactive online lesson, broadcast live from COP26, for secondary schools, sixth forms and colleges across the UK. It is being delivered by AimHi Earth, Nature4Climate, World’s Largest Lesson & YOUTHTOPIA with support from Cambridge Zero and the Eden Project.
This interactive lesson was free and available for all students aged 11+, their teachers and their wider school community.
The lesson was broadcast live on YouTube at 9am on Friday 5th November.
The UK Schools Sustainability Network (UKSSN) took over 20 sixth form students from 12 UK regions to COP26. Students featured in the blue ministerial and green civil society zones with partners PPL PWR, Ucell and Climate Psychology Alliance, supported by Global Action Plan, the Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Department and UKSSN member schools.
We are proud to be able to share that one of these students is a member of the GSL movement. Jack took part in the GSL Global Goals competition in 2019-20, represented GSL at the infamous Fridays for Future march in Bristol which was lead by Greta Thunberg, and was the first ever guest on the GSL Podcast. Find out more about Jack and his teams climate project Climate Justice Revolution here.
On Friday 5th November GSL met up with these amazing young people to provide them with the opportunity to share their stories and find out how they are addressing the climate emergency.
Find out more about UKSSN’s COP26 plans here.
COP26 is the 2021 United Nations annual climate change conference. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. Parties are the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty agreed in 1994 which has 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU). The 2021 conference, hosted by the UK, together with our partners Italy, in Glasgow, will be the 26th meeting of the Parties, which is why it’s called COP26.
United Nations climate change conferences are among the largest international meetings in the world. The negotiations between governments are complex and involve officials from every country in the world as well as representatives from civil society and the global news media.
If you will be in Glasgow and would like to collaborate please contact Alice: alice.curran@future-foundations.co.uk
If you’d like to attend and review any of the events, or if there’s anything else you’d like to share about COP26, submit a blog post for our website! Send to social.leaders@future-foundations.co.uk
UKSSN @ COP26