the PANELS

Building off Youth Climate Lab’s newly launched Northern Climate Policy Manual, seeking to demystify and equip Indigenous youth in Arctic regions with the tools and resources to engage in climate governance and solutions-development, youth from northern regions shared their insights on the importance of youth-led climate solutions in the cryosphere and built a case for a more equitable and intergenerational climate decision-making processes and spaces.

Hosted at the Cryosphere Pavilion on November 10th, 2022

Climate change education is part of Canada’s international commitments and is fundamental to overcoming climate denial, increasing climate literacy, and supporting climate action and a transition to a greener economy. With formal education varying across Canada, youth are calling for a cohesive climate education strategy. Moderated by Youth Climate Lab, this event brought together the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and young people from diverse walks of life, to discuss ways to enhance climate literacy and education across Canada.

Hosted at the Canadian Pavillion on November 10th, 2022

Thawed permafrost begins to release carbon – and will continue to do so for centuries. This means that every fraction of a degree increase in global average temperature commits future generations to an ever-increasing burden of permafrost emissions – and an ever-increasing demand for carbon drawdown. This session addressed the scale of this intergenerational and geographic climate justice issue.

Hosted at the Cryosphere Pavilion on November 11th, 2022

The global south countries have seen a variety of youth-led initiatives and interventions over the past years as a result of the growing significance of youth participation in global climate action and governance. It is worth reflecting on whether, and to what extent, certain youth voices and perspectives in climate governance are privileged over others, and what it takes to achieve climate justice. This session brought together speakers within climate spaces to inculcate the requisite skills and knowledge that fosters effective climate governance while highlighting the achievements of the Youth Climate Council, an initiative of GAYO, which bring young people’s voice to climate decision making.

Hosted at the Green Zone on November 14th, 2022

How are climate solutions in the Arctic supporting African and Pacific communities’ mitigative and adaptive capacity and how might climate action in Africa and the Pacific support the cryosphere? Now, more than ever, cross-regional collaborations are critical to build resilience and youth are already stepping up to collaborate, innovate, and lead solutions that have global impact. The panel sought to highlight and create opportunities to build synergy and collectively work towards climate justice.

Hosted at the Cryosphere Pavilion on November 14th, 2022

This panel session brought together a globally diverse group of young energy leaders from a variety of backgrounds in the global clean energy space, and provide a platform to share their stories. The event supported Canada’s goal to profile Canadian leadership and innovation in the energy sector, and promote Indigenous climate leadership. The panel included young people with expertise in research, entrepreneurship, and advocacy, and they will share their experiences in leading clean climate solutions in their communities in Canada. Finally, the panelists engaged in a dynamic conversation around how young people are leading the way in climate action in areas of policy advocacy, mobilizing communities, and developing technologies. They identified what other actors can do to support young people who are taking the lead in finding and creating these climate solutions.

Hosted at the Canadian Pavillion on November 15th, 2022