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After striking for the climate on Friday 24 September, activists from the Fridays for Future movement, together with young people from around the world, have gathered in Milan from Tuesday 28 September for Youth4Climate, the world climate conference for young people. The event runs until the 30th, the day on which the Pre-Cop will begin — the preparatory event for the twenty-sixth United Nations world climate conference due to be held in Glasgow (Cop 26), Scotland, in November.

Climate activists take action

Taking part at the MiCo convention centre in Milan are 400 young people aged between 15 and 29, selected with due regard for geographic and gender balance, from countries that have signed up to the Paris Agreement.

"The selection," the organisers explain, "rewarded activism on the themes of climate change and sustainable development. Based on responses to a six-question questionnaire, those who demonstrated strategic thinking, leadership and motivation were selected."

A group of climate activists from Fridays for Future also gathered outside the MiCo to offer a "greeting" to the proceedings, calling for more "moments for discussion and for drawing up a plan to defeat the climate crisis." Among them was Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, before she was mobbed by photographers and journalists at the entrance to the centre.

"We can no longer wait for empty and pointless discussions that put on display figures who, while greenwashing their communications, continue to obstruct a just ecological transition: it is time to truly listen to our voice," the activists shouted.

The speech by the UNFCCC executive secretary

"You have a challenge: to condense these contributions into a declaration to be presented to ministers," said Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Unfccc), addressing the 400 young people at the Youth for Climate. "What brought you here gives me hope that your ideas will drive climate ambitions. I know you work hard in your communities to ensure that emissions reduction targets are taken into consideration in your countries. We need that same drive at the international level too, and you are the ones who can make all of this possible."

Greta Thunberg at Youth4Climate in Milan

Greta Thunberg, one of the movement's leaders, also took the floor during the opening plenary session. "Climate change," she said, "is not only a threat, but an opportunity to create a greener and healthier planet. We can have a win-win solution. But it takes willpower to put the necessary changes into practice. We must aim for a transition without trauma."

The activist went on to explain that greenwashing must in any case be avoided: "We can no longer carry on with the 'blah blah blah', with promises. The climate crisis is a symptom of the social crisis, of the crisis linked to inequality, at a global level, which goes back to colonialism. A crisis based on the idea that some people are worth more than others and therefore should have the right to rob their neighbours of land and resources." Greta Thunberg then pointed out that climate change is becoming ever more severe, and that despite this "coal-fired power plants are still being opened. Hope is not something passive. We can reverse this trend, but it requires drastic emissions reductions, reductions never seen before. We can no longer allow the powerful to decide what hope is. Hope is telling the truth, taking action, and hope always comes from the people. We want a safe future, we want climate justice. Now."

Alongside Greta was her fellow Fridays for Future Uganda activist Vanessa Nakate: "Over the past few years," she said, "I have witnessed how the climate crisis is affecting the continent. It is an irony, because it emits fewer gases, excluding Antarctica. Historically, Africa is responsible for only 3 per cent of global emissions, yet it suffers the most severe impacts of the crisis: hurricanes, floods, droughts. People are dying, and many others have lost their land. All that remains is suffering, agony and death." "The time has come," she added, "to address the impacts and the losses. It is time for leaders to put this at the centre of negotiations. We need funds to remedy the damage, beyond those already promised. They must be grants and not loans, or they will be added to those already given to developing countries."

Numerous other prominent figures will also be taking part, from the Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani to Pope Francis, who will not be present in person but will send a message to the young participants.

UN Youth Office @UNYouthAffairs

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@YAGClimate are joining youth delegates from across the 🌍 in the #Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition event held by @Connect4Climate & @PreCop26ITA in Milan 🇮🇹

Stay tuned for their work & how young people are campaigning for #ClimateJusticeNow 🙌

#ClimateAction

♥ 45💬 3 27 set 2021 · Apri su X →

During the Youth for Climate, four themes in particular will be addressed: first, the question of young people's participation in the political decisions taken on climate change. Discussion will then turn to the need to relaunch the global economy in a way that is compatible with cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to greater involvement of non-governmental organisations in decision-making processes, and to the creation of a society that is aware of the risks linked to the climate crisis.

A repeat failure of climate negotiations must be avoided

All issues that will inevitably be addressed at Cop 26 in Glasgow as well, for which Milan's Pre-Cop will also be crucial. It is essential to facilitate the work of the delegations that will meet in Scotland, in order to avoid a repeat of what happened at Cop 25 in Madrid, when, despite the conference schedule being extended, government representatives from around the world failed to reach an agreement.

Kamaal Hassan Adnan @Kamaal_Adnan

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As per the first day to arrive in Milano to join the #Youth4Climate #DrivingAmbition we begun our activism to speak up, give interviews to several media companies. We are also so excited to officially start Small act and but fast actions are always needed to tackle #ClimateChange

♥ 66 27 set 2021 · Apri su X →

The Paris Agreement of 2015 must be made operationally concrete, with the aim of achieving its principal objective: limiting the rise in average global temperature to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial levels. But remaining "as close as possible to 1.5 degrees," as the Agreement itself stipulates.