It was an honour to represent European youth at COP28 UAE, where I was committed to advocate for our future, enshrine our values and amplify our voices. I formed part of Young European Leadership’s delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference thanks to a scholarship from their partner Schneider Electric Foundation.
COP28 was undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am lucky to have worked with four highly dedicated and talented delegates under 30 and from various European countries who inspired and challenged me daily. As representatives of civil society with observer status, we closely followed the negotiations at COP28. After my electrifying, restless and transformative week in Dubai, these are the 5 key highlights:
- Policy statement:
I put forward the idea of drafting a ‘Policy Statement’ for Young European Leadership and volunteered to draft and design it. Given my academic background in English and Law and my work experience at the Spanish Embassy in Libya and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I was excited to present a series of ambitious yet accomplishable policy proposals within four main areas of focus:
i. climate finance;
ii. energy;
iii. agrifood and nature; and
iv. youth participation.
As a representative of European youth and a member of the generation that is most impacted by climate change, I addressed experts and decision-makers from European institutions, businesses, think tanks, media, and civil society with an urgent call to action. I learnt greatly, and drew, from the delegation’s wide range of expertise in these areas and enthusiasm to drive these solutions forward. I especially took a lead in ‘Climate Finance’ and ‘Energy’, with my proposals tackling third-party litigation funding, greenwashing in the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and ESG reporting standards, the fossil fuel phaseout, energy efficiency and Just Energy Transition Partnerships.
- Bilateral meetings:
Following the drafting of the ‘Policy Statement’, I was keen to share it and advocate for young Europeans in bilateral meetings alongside the Young European Leadership delegates. We met with seven key stakeholders across the political spectrum and the EU to share our ideas and learn about the progress made in numerous fields within climate change policy, including:
o Steffi Lemke (Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Germany): the Minister shared Germany’s leading role in tackling the climate crisis, particularly in the following areas that we spotlighted as key for young people worldwide.
(a) Ocean protection – Germany works with different partners to protect island states against industrial exploitation through a precautionary approach and deep-sea mining is no longer part of government strategy. More work needs to be done to better protect oceans, including the reform of the International Seabed Authority.
(b) Fossil fuel phaseout – Germany pushed for a fossil fuel phaseout but recognised that it is controversial. We agreed that a holistic approach that also includes ecosystem collapse is needed to address the climate crisis.
(c) Human rights – I asked the Minister how Germany acts on its positive obligations on human rights and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment considering their inclusion in the preamble to the draft of the First Global Stocktake and its broader obligations under the ECHR and the UN’s resolution that recognised it as a universal human right. The Minister and her team underscored the importance of including strong language on the subject in the text and ensuring its domestic application.
o Martin Hojsík (Vice President of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group, Slovakia): we asked for a clear roadmap regarding the fossil fuel phaseout and how the EU will achieve its goals on biodiversity.
(a) Fossil fuel phaseout – He affirmed that the EU is highly committed to achieve it well before 2050 and that he is working to encourage the petrochemical industry to deliver on making the economy toxic-free and circular.
(b) Biodiversity – He recognised that there has been criticism of the European Biodiversity Framework but that it has performed better than expected in countries like Slovakia. He said that establishing the current cap was already a milestone and that further progress will require the effort from a diverse range of stakeholders.
o Vincent Chauvet (Mayor of Autun, Coordinator of the Environment Commission at the European Committee of the Regions, France): we asked about the role that cities and regions play in driving climate action.
(a) Collaboration with national governments – He explained that cities often have higher ambitions than national governments and that NDCs are more credible when local action plans are integrated. He also discussed a recent poll by ‘Les Echos’ that 81% of citizens believe that local politicians can make meaningful changes in climate policy.
(b) Impactful local initiatives: He stressed the use of AI in smart cities, effective distributive heating systems, green debt, and PPPs like Bristol City Leap as key local actions.
- Open Letter to the European Commissioner for Climate Action:
Stemming from the ‘Policy Statement’ proposal and Mohammed Chahim (the Vice Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to COP28)’s encouragement, I am currently working with my delegation on an open letter to Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. We are calling for the inclusion of youth negotiators in future EU COP Delegations and a youth negotiator programme to enshrine youth demands, vision and voices within climate change policymaking.
- Greenpeace protest:
By the evening of the penultimate day of COP28, the draft version of the First Global Stocktake did not include the fossil fuel phaseout. I shuttled between the arduous yet hopeful negotiations and the moving yet disquieted protests outside the plenary. I was lucky to participate in an uplifting silent protest organised by Greenpeace, where I stood with some members of my delegation with illuminated yellow balloons that made out ‘YALLA!’ (‘come on’ in Arabic) and urged for the fossil fuel phaseout.
- Collaboration with YOUNGO:
I assisted YOUNGO, the official youth and children constituency of the United Nations Climate Change processes, with the live translation of an interview between Carlos Alvarado (former President of Costa Rica) and Carlos Shanka (young climate activist from the Canary Islands) from Spanish to English. The interview shed light into the progress that had been made at COP28, the need for stronger action and accountability from both the public and private sectors, the leading role of Costa Rica in climate action and the importance of nature and biodiversity in negotiations.
