How 5 young leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean are driving climate solutions

Young people all over the world are concerned with climate change’s projection, as the issue continues to worsen. Despite being concerned for their future, young people are largely excluded from government and international decision-making spaces where climate policy is discussed and implemented.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, these sentiments ring true. In a region where young people aged 15 to 29 make up 25% of the population, only 4.7% hold parliamentary seats.

Despite this challenge, young people are taking matters into their own hands, sparking revolutions and meaningful dialogue to tackle the climate crisis.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has highlighted five individuals that have demonstrated exemplary resilience in the name of climate action. These individuals, with diverse backgrounds in law, science, and social work, are addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.

• Açucena, a law student from the Tumbalalá Indigenous community in Brazil, is an advocate for Indigenous land rights. She researches and provides advice on the "Marco Temporal" legal interpretation, which threatens Indigenous land ownership, and studies the impacts of hydroelectric plants on her community. Açucena uses her voice to bring Indigenous perspectives to international climate conferences.
• Julián, a lawyer from Medellín, Colombia, co-founded the organization Somos Por Naturaleza. His group helps residents of informal settlements like La Honda, a neighborhood of approximately 20,000 people, prepare for climate impacts. They work to include these marginalized communities in official urban planning and disaster prevention strategies and build local resilience through community-led early warning systems.
• Camila, a young lawyer from Mexico, works with the organization Nuestro Futuro to provide legal support to communities affected by climate change. She was moved by her work with the community of El Bosque, the first community in Mexico recognized as climate-displaced due to coastal erosion. Camila and her colleagues educate young people on climate law and help them develop and pitch their own climate advocacy projects.
• José, a biologist from Ecuador, co-founded Academia del Océano, an organization that aims to make ocean and climate education more accessible. Recognizing the lack of resources available in Spanish, his organization provides courses to thousands of young people across Latin America and runs a community center that promotes local conservation efforts.
• Tracey-Ann, a survivor of gender-based violence from Jamaica, founded I-SEEED Youths to empower other survivors and young people. Her organization provides training in agriculture and business, using a solar-powered greenhouse to teach skills and promote climate resilience. I-SEEED has impacted nearly 20,000 lives by combining social healing, entrepreneurship, and climate activism.

Each of these young leaders demonstrates a deep understanding that climate change is not just an environmental issue but a matter of human rights, social justice, and equity. They are using their unique skills and experiences to create meaningful, lasting change in their home countries and on the global stage.

For the full article, please read here. 

Source: UNDP