Scouting for Solutions to Climate Challenges at COP28

5 minutes

Ahead of World Scouting’s participation in COP28, the UN’s annual climate change conference, hear from Hian Leng Kek, one of three WOSM Youth Representatives heading to this year’s conference in Dubai to advocate ob behalf of youth among decision-makers, partners and activists.

The white patch on the mountains behind me is what remains of the Kanderfirn glacier, which has been receding for decades due to excessive heat.
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World Scout Bureau
The white patch behind me is what remains of the Kanderfirn glacier in Switzerland, which has been receding for decades due to excessive heat.

The world stands at a critical environmental crossroads, a fact underscored by the stark warning from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all."

In other words, the world that we step into as adults will be very different from the world that we grew up in if we do not act now. The forests where we camped as Scouts may shrink or vanish entirely due to irresponsible, unsustainable development. The rare animals we once eagerly tracked on hikes could face extinction, threatened by the ongoing assault on biodiversity.

As Scouts, this poses a direct challenge to our core values of leaving a place better than we find it.

In the Summer of 2022, I had the privilege to serve as a hiking guide at the Kandersteg International Scout Center (KISC). By interacting with the environment on a daily basis, it became clear that nature was quickly losing the battle against climate change.

Snow-laden hiking paths that required crampons and ice axes just 5 years prior were now barren rocks. A massive dam has been erected across the Kander River, to prevent floods caused by loose rocks released from thawing permafrost. When compared to photographs in albums from the 1950s to the 1980s, the landscape was unrecognizable. (My fellow pinkies, Rosie and Lucy recently created a film addressing this: On The Brink | Shrinking Glaciers in the Swiss Alps - YouTube.) There was no greater reminder that we have to take action now, before it is too late.

Why COP28?

One pivotal opportunity lies in events like the COP, the largest annual climate change conference, convened by the United Nations. At COP, global leaders, ministers, and business executives gather to negotiate crucial agreements and devise solutions to the pressing climate crisis. This platform provides us with a unique chance to voice our concerns and aspirations directly to decision-makers.

A Scout speaks on a panel at the Extreme Hangout at COP27 at the waterfront in Sharm el-Sheikh
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World Scout Bureau
During COP27 last year in Egypt, fellow Youth Representatives made sure youth voices were heard during several panels, guest speaker events, and meetings with decision-makers and NGOs.

What do we advocate for?

First and foremost, we demand accountability from governments and leaders. Too often, we have heard of lofty commitments that falter in the long term. The recent Global Stocktake report for the Paris Agreement revealed that current global emissions still deviate from the modelled mitigation pathways essential for meeting the global temperature goal. The response to this critical report will be negotiated at COP28, and it's imperative that we hold leaders accountable to ensure we stay on track toward achieving our targets.

We insist on elevating the voices of youth to all levels of decision-making. With 1.8 billion young people set to inherit the earth in the next decade, decisions made now will profoundly shape our adult lives. As key stakeholders, youths must be actively engaged in climate decision-making processes.

Regrettably, formal school-based education has failed in imparting the necessary knowledge for youths to be engaged in climate change. The latest SDG report reveals that almost half of the countries—47%—do not include climate change in their curriculum framework. Consequently, 70% of youths can only articulate broad principles about climate change. If we are able to bridge this gap, we will be able to mobilize millions of youths towards our environmental targets. We implore leaders to recognize that non-formal education systems, like Scouting, can fill these educational voids.

What do we do in Scouting?

In Scouting, we have a powerful framework known as Scouts for SDGs. This framework serves as a beacon of knowledge, helping Scouts to understand the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their crucial relationship with the environment, before empowering them to go out and make a difference in their communities.

The impact is staggering, with Scouts contributing over 2.8 billion hours towards advancing SDGs in collaboration with their communities and organizations like the UNEP, Solafrica, WWF, and more to champion sustainability and environmental preservation. 

This is a testament to the transformative power of non-formal education. With the necessary knowledge and education, young people aren't just passive learners but dynamic actors, agents of change, and torchbearers for a brighter future.

But we cannot do this alone. We need decision-makers to prioritize sustainability and invest in the future of our planet. We need to make it clear that young people are a vital part of the solution and work together to ensure that our views are taken into account.

The time for action is now. The future of our planet depends on the actions we take today. Let's continue to spread our message of sustainability and make sure that it stays at the top of the agenda. 

Scouts in Singapore work on a turtle conservation project at a beach
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World Scout Bureau
Project Orion is a collaboration between the WWF and the National Scout Associations of Singapore and Malaysia towards turtle conservation.
A baby turtle in the sand on the beach in Singapore where Scouts are working on a conservation project
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World Scout Bureau
One of the beneficiaries of Project Orion in Singapore

How can you be involved in COP28?

Follow us @worldscouting where we will share our journey at COP28 and answer any questions that you might have about the event.

Connect with us on Instagram to let us know how you or your community have been impacted by climate change, and what actions are helping curb it. Share your views on climate action and we will work to bring your voices to the forefront of climate negotiations at the conference.

Plus, Scouts can keep learning and taking action by joining the Earth Tribe challenges.

Together, we can create a better world.

Scouts plant trees as part of the one million trees movement in Singapore
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World Scout Bureau

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