World Scouting Brings Youth Voices to COP28 Climate Talks

At the forefront of global climate change discussions, the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) had a significant presence at COP28 in Dubai this month. This year, three passionate Youth Representatives - Hian Leng Kek (Singapore), Laura Rodríguez Salgado (Spain) and Lucas Andriantsimba (Madagascar) - showcased the Scout Movement’s unwavering commitment to environmental advocacy and education, in a bid to protect people and the planet from the extremely harmful effects of climate change.

Climate Activism, Education and Justice Take Center Stage

World Scouting hosted its own event in the Children & Youth Pavilion focused on youth climate activism. Here, our three Youth Representatives highlighted our environmental education initiatives through the Earth Tribe. The event featured discussions on obstacles and opportunities for youth in climate activism and showcased the Scout-led Boranka project - Europe's largest-ever reforestation endeavour. An unexpected power outage couldn't dim the Scouts’ spirits, and they impressively continued their session without screens or microphones.

Scouts also showcased non-formal education perspectives at the second annual RewirEd Summit, focusing on educational innovation for climate action. Notably, our Secretary General Ahmad Alhendawi and World Scout Foundation Board Member HH Princess Sama Al Saud participated in panel discussions with a cross-section of education actors on the topics of “Powering Youth Actions & Solutions for Climate,” “Voices of Children & Youth,” and “Partnerships for Responsible Education.”

Mr. Alhendawi addressed the RewirEd Summit in support of the Generation Unlimited Green Rising initiative which, over the next 3 years, will provide opportunities for over 10 million children and youth to take grassroots action through volunteering, green skills building, jobs, entrepreneurship and advocacy. Collectively, these young champions can deliver concrete environmental impact in their communities and catalyze systems-level change.

WOSM Youth Representative Lucas Andriantsimba was invited to address the inaugural launch of UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership, a collaborative platform for governments and other stakeholders including inter-governmental organizations, civil society, youth, academia, and the private sector, to work in partnership to transform education. This momentous address was attended by over 40 of the world’s Government Education Ministers who then responded with their commitments towards the partnership.

Another significant moment was our participation in a panel hosted in partnership between WOSM and the Association of Commonwealth Universities on “Fostering Youth-led Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Climate-resilient Communities.” This event saw a Scout panellist and moderator actively engaging with the formal education sector, a first-of-its-kind collaboration for Scouts at COP. You can watch the full panel here, including an impassioned intervention about the impact of Scouting by Laura, and incredible moderation skills by Kek.

A Unified Call for Climate Education

Joining forces with 80 organizations in the #Education4Earth coalition, our team called on governments to integrate climate education into global curricula. This initiative aligns with WOSM's dedication to fostering environmental consciousness and the understanding necessary to carry out change through verified and transversal climate information.

“Scouting has the potential to lead sustainable communities, especially through education and child participation, but the responsibility is not all on us. At the end of the day, governments and corporations make decisions that negatively impact everywhere, everyone. Be critical, think outside the box, rely on your friends, and do only what's in your hands. And remember, climate advocacy is also human rights advocacy. Our aspirations are collective.”

- Laura Rodríguez Salgado, Youth Representative, WOSM

During the press conference, WOSM Youth Representative Laura Rodríguez Salgado delivered a passionate call for action, which you can see here. Read the full Call to Governments here.

Collaborative Events and Discussions

Besides these noteworthy events, our journey at COP28 was marked by numerous collaborative efforts:

• Our Youth Representative Lucas made his debut speaking engagement during a livestream on youth-led climate action by the IFRC with partners from the YMCA and WAGGGS.

• Co-hosting an event with the World’s Largest Lesson on sustainable education through youth climate action in the Greening Education Hub.

• Participating in a panel on integrating education, innovation, and investments for a greener future, organized by the Earth Child Institute.

• Engaging in a vital discussion hosted by the Burundian delegation on whether the climate crisis is also a child rights crisis - a question close to our ethos as the largest educational youth movement.

• Learning from global initiatives at the FEE’s event on “Global Youth Voices for Climate Justice,” including insights on Mock COP.

• Meeting with fellow activists and organizations representing youth, children and gender issues in the Children, Youth and Gender Pavilion.

• Connecting with our National Pavilions to build relationships between the work of our countries' governments and Scouts.

Our team also engaged with multiple media outlets and social media channels to bring our message to a wider audience, including SkyNews Arabia, EcoNews, Dubai Cares, Goodwall, UN Youth and the UN Agency for ICTs. 

Overall, we are happy to say that Scouts are always easily recognized by our scarves, and we met several fellow Scouts and Guides here with their own national delegations or other observer roles.

Applying Life Skills for Greater Good

WOSM’s Youth Representatives have the daunting task of representing the voices and priorities of millions of Scouts around the world. During COP28, Kek, Laura and Lucas did a tremendous job of advocating and pursuing opportunities to make young people’s concerns and demands heard.

Further, they each took the opportunity to hone the life skills they have spent their lives developing through Scouting and other activities, such as teamwork, public speaking, active listening, dialogue, critical thinking, and more.

“Through my participation in COP28, I increased my advocacy skills, learned the process of being involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), and made sure the voices of millions of Scouts were represented.”

- Lucas Andriantsimba, Youth Representative, WOSM

Kek took on last-minute opportunities to speak and engage regularly, including the opportunity to moderate our last panel. He adapted brilliantly and discovered a new strength in moderation, demonstrating a keen ability to listen, summarise and entertain simultaneously.

Celebrating Progress Amid Challenges

There are still many barriers to the high-level climate action needed to avert or lessen the climate crisis. World Scouting continues to push for greater political will and the implementation of binding agreements and policies that will lead to the changes needed to lessen global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

While acknowledging the ongoing challenges, and that much more needs to be done, we were pleased to celebrate some achievements and milestones during COP28, such as:

• The UAE Consensus, which urges countries to transition away from fossil fuel dependence and towards renewable energy sources;

  • We are specifically encouraged by the report recognising and encouraging parties to include and empower women, youth and children in climate policy making;

• The launch of the Loss and Damage Fund began the world’s work towards financing climate justice by accounting for the financial and non-financial damage climate change is imposing on the global south;

• The first global stocktake gives continuity to the Paris Agreement and provides a tool to evaluate progress towards achieving climate targets;

• The endorsement of the 1st Declaration on Climate Relief, Recovery, and Peace by 70+ member states and 40 civil society organizations, including WOSM, marks a significant step in recognizing the interconnectedness of these issues for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;

• The announcement of the RewirEd Summit being established as an independent standalone platform led by a global board co-chaired by Ms. Laura Frigenti, Chief Executive Officer, Global Partnership for Education; Ms. Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait; and Dr. Tariq Al Gurg of Dubai Cares. The summit offers a unique space for educational organizations to engage in discussions, learning and action towards widespread climate education;

• The endorsement of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health by 123 countries, cementing health in the climate agenda for the first time while receiving $1 billion of initial financing.

World Scouting's dynamic participation at COP28 exemplifies the power of youth advocacy in the global fight against climate change. Our Youth Representatives, Kek, Laura, and Lucas, not only voiced the concerns of millions of Scouts but also showcased the impactful role of non-formal education in fostering responsible environmental stewardship.

Through collaborative events, engaging discussions, and significant endorsements, World Scouting has cemented its position as a key player in shaping a sustainable future. As we move forward, the lessons learned and the connections made at this pivotal summit will continue to empower Scouts around the world to lead the charge in environmental advocacy, underscoring our enduring commitment to leaving the world a little better than we found it.