Young people clean up the environment. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), incollaboration with the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry ofNatural Resources and Environment (MONRE), launched a special report entitled“Youth for Climate Action in Vietnam 2022” on November 1.
This year'sreport was co-written by 24 young authors from all over the country. Itcontained four key themes including youth in climate policy and decision-makingprocesses, accelerating the transition towards a circular economy, climatemitigation towards net zero, and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
The authorsdocumented and tracked more than 130 youth-led climate initiatives and projectsthat were outstanding good practices of meaningful climate action. They alsoidentified several priority accelerators moving forward, including the establishmentof a youth climate policy working group, education and capacity-buildingprogrammes on climate change, and financial and technical support for youth-ledprojects.
According to the special report, youth face two key obstacles: financiallimitations and lack of technical knowledge and skills. It alsorecommends accelerators, such as developing a climate financing hub for youth,promoting the role of youth in climate governance and diplomacy, and creating aset of specialised publications for youth.
At theevent, the youth also presented their youth statement in which they called onthe Government to prioritise investment in renewable power plants; establishthe roadmap to phase out fossil fuel by 2030; restrict financial institutionsfrom investing in high emission projects; and minimise the use of single-useplastic products with an aim to eliminate these products completely by 2030.
Theysuggested local governments and stakeholders to engage youth in organisingcommunication and awareness raising campaigns on climate change, promotionsof green lifestyles and climateresilient action. Priority should be given to the establishment aworking group on youth and climate policy to represent youth voices at nationaland international policy forums, they added.
At the event. (Photo: VNA) In herremarks at the event, Ramla Al Khalidi, United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP)Resident Representative in Vietnam, said that UNDP calls on all developmentpartners to join hands to facilitate and advance an environment inwhich youth can rise to fully occupy their roles as agents of change.
“We pledgeto support the Vietnamese youth, to ensure their concerns and ideas are heard,and to continue working with the youth to leverage their creativity to boostclimate action,” she said.
“It is notonly our interest but also our obligation to ensure that the youth and futuregenerations will be able to live in a just, green, and resilient future.”
According toTang The Cuong, Director General of the Department of Climate Change, the launch of the special report,which takes place before the 27thUnited Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), is of great importance, contributing to thevoice of Vietnamese youth in response to global climate.
♕ “We hopeagencies and organisations create more conditions for the Vietnamese youth toparticipate and contribute to the nation's efforts to respond to climate change in order to accelerate the achievement of the net zero emissions target by 2050,” hesaid./.
