Through my work with KPR’s Youth Leadership Program, I understand the role of climate education in addressing the climate crisis.1 In the “Powering Net Zero: the case for climate education” side event, I learn that 153 countries have included climate education in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs – the building blocks of the Paris Agreement).. Canada is not among them (I know .. provincial jurisdiction …). But the 2nd presenter notes that demand for green skills is growing twice as fast as supply.
At an all-day event outside COP, we learned from Amnesty International of the oft-overlooked impacts of fossil fuel extraction. “People get sick near extraction zones”, and there are lots in Amazonia. Amnesty singled out Canada in its recent report that notes that 33% of extraction takes place on critically sensitive biodiverse lands. At the same event, a local fisher talked about his livelihood wiped out by proximate oil extraction – he calls his region a “sacrifice zone” and said he hears lots about climate justice, but sees lots of climate impacts. He reminded us that “we’re all in the same storm, but not on the same boat” And the little message in my fortune cookie that followed my lunch:
“The climate emergency has not passed. Nor has the abuse of human rights”.
I watched a live “We are out of time” webcast that had the Director of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Kumi Naido suggest that fossil fuel corporation executives have the moral equivalence of slave trade barons. Ouch.
Renowned Ugandan youth climate activist Vanessa Nakate is tired of people asking her what “gives her hope”.
“If leaders phased out fossil fuels, that would give me hope”.
She then lamented that it’s hard for youth to dream of climate justice when fossil fuel leaders make their way to so many negotiating tables. I had a big picture of Vanessa hanging at the front of my YLS classroom for years. I was pretty pleased when she obliged me with a selfie after her presentation.
My two students had lots to think about, and lots to say. Guilherme (from Brazil) spoke so passionately about the value of a United World College education on a green zone panel that explored the emerging momentum to create the next (19th) UWC campus deep in the Amazon. And Paola (Indigenous from the mountains of Peru) sat on several panels that clearly articulated the need for Indigenous youth voices and accessible language in all formal negotiations. They came to mind when a young presenter in a large plenary event reminded us all that
“you are never too young to lead, and never too old to learn”.
The head of the UN Climate Change secretariat (who organize these COPs) Simon Stiell reminded all country negotiators and the thousands of us in attendance in a plenary meeting room a few days ago that
“to get, you must give. And right now, we must give more”.
Indeed.
We can all choose what to make of these complicated and controversial COPs. If nothing else, they get a bunch of people talking about the climate crisis, which is probably a good thing especially in Canada as our Prime Minister announced fast tracking fossil fuel infrastructure expansion as COP got underway. For me? After getting some sleep, I’m going to try to figure out how to pack some of the Brazilion teen’s “hope” into my suitcase to bring back as a souvenir for my Pearson College students.
Part I of Cam’s article can be accessed here: https://rndmcanada.org/2025/12/01/on-the-ground-at-cop30-belem-brazil/
1 Youth Leadership in Sustainability program (KPR), hosted at Trent University, Peterborough, ON
