Raising a Wave of Climate Leaders

Climate change poses one of the most significant challenges of our time. According to the report from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the global average temperature has increased by about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The United Nations refers to climate change as a global emergency that goes beyond national borders.

That brings us to the pressing question that comes to our mind. What are we doing individually or collectively to address climate change and take climate action?

On Friday, 22nd March 2024, The Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative(NGYouthSDGs) organised an X (formerly known as Twitter) conversation to discuss a theme that focuses on Raising a Wave of Climate Leaders. The Live Session was in line with the ClimateVoicesNG social media series which started in 2023, aimed at engaging and educating young people in Nigeria on the critical aspects of climate change, climate education, loss and damage, and climate policy thereby inspiring a wave of environmentally conscious and informed young climate leaders from different Nigerian states.

The Speaker, Olumide Climate, popularly known as Mr Climate shared his thoughts on the impact of climate change and proven strategies to amplify the voices of youth amongst others which you can read below.

Climate Change and Its Impact.

Climate change is one of the major challenges faced in Nigeria that has resulted in food insecurity. Nigeria has experienced an increase in weather conditions which has negatively impacted the global supply chain affecting industries around the world. The southeastern part of Nigeria has experienced environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and species extinction. Increased frequency of disruptive weather in Nigeria also led to a lot of disruption in the global supply chain affecting businesses and industries around the world.
It is crucial for us not only for the well-being of the citizens but for the global community to be climate aware. Climate change is like a time bomb and we need to start looking for sustainable ways to identify and tackle these problems.

Proven Strategies for Amplifying Youth Voices
Amplifying youth voices can be achieved with some major sets of focus which are; education, engagement and empowerment.

  • Engagement and mobilisation of youths through speaking, implementation and evaluation. Building youth engagements and raising a platform for the youth to take ownership. When young people are given the room to speak, it creates a sense of collaboration and involvement of young people. We need to consider initiatives that relate to their daily lives and give them a platform to share their success stories.
  • The role of education in driving change, and ultimately, climate change can not be overemphasized. Creating awareness and driving education leads to innovation.
  • Empowering communities through co-creating solutions is key to driving climate action. It is beyond introducing solutions in these communities but making them see that they can be part of the solution for the community. An effective advocacy method is speaking in the language they understand. They will in turn ensure a lasting change.

Role of collaboration in driving and implementing collective climate-related projects in communities
Collaboration is one way to measure impacts and it is crucial in driving climate-related projects. Collaboration enhances expertise. It provides opportunities for stakeholders to share local knowledge and scale up project activities. Collaboration amongst the youths will foster ownership and increase relevance in the space (climate change leaders). It is the bedrock of innovation to ensure sustainability, and this creates a society that is just and one for all.
Each collaboration forms the bedrock of monitoring, evaluation and learning outcomes. When organisations come together, knowledge is shared which fosters a sense of ownership that helps to increase relevance as a whole.

Community engagement is a collaborative project that provides us with opportunities that stakeholders can leverage for decision-making processes. By building communities, we can exchange practices and create innovative approaches while working with the government and providing incentives for individuals who are engaged in climate-friendly businesses.
This way, resources and opportunities are shared giving room for localisation to build a future for everyone. This is because when ideas are localised, the outcome is sustainable impacts and collaborations that lead to benefits.

The Role of Youth-Led Initiatives in Raising Climate Leaders
Over the years, NGYouthSDGs has provided climate education for young people across Nigeria. In 2024, NGYouthSDGs will be having the Climate Voices Nigerian Boot Camp, which aims to inspire a wave of environmentally conscious and informed young leaders. There is also the Climate Wednesday conversation from the International Climate Change Development Initiative
(ICCDI) and these programmes play a pivotal role in educating the youth about climate change and its effect on the environment.

Initiatives such as these contribute to raising climate leaders, It creates opportunities for funding and developing leadership skills; to learn, and grow but beyond that, there is a need to have an umbrella that drives sustainable outcomes.
The youths are being trained to become a part of the table to amplify the role they play in climate change. This works when we create networks and build communities
There is a need for mentorship to provide the youths with guidance and support in driving collaboration and involvement.
Building a network of climate leaders in every community is also important to drive meaningful change. In our local community, we need to start looking for voices that can speak to our policymakers and engage government officials to prioritise climate action and integrate climate considerations into policies and plans.
Implementing a different initiative strategy can help us to foster leadership development, recognise diversity, and drive meaningful change across Nigeria. Building a community of climate-minded youth has to deal with; engagement and education. Education drives information and information leads to innovation.

The Impact of the significant Youth Inclusion for COP 28 and the way forward.

COP 28 showed that young people are important and raising awareness ahead of COP 29 is important. It is not about being on the table but about implementing, and calling on actions and responsibilities that can impact our importance for COP 29.
Ahead of COP 29, young people need to come together and holistically look at the urgent issues we can take to COP 29 to have an effective conversation.
For COP 29 young people need to speak with one voice. Discuss how we can identify and proffer local solutions to global challenges. The endpoint of conversations is in their actions and implementation.

In conclusion, now, more than ever, there is a need to speak with one voice, to change mindsets and influence the attitudes of people living in the community so we can implement them effectively. Action is key apart from treaties being signed and localising action through climate financing and carrying out targeted projects, which helps to drive both economic growth and ultimately, a safer environment for all.

Click here to access the recording.