Climate Delegates Program
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), created at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, is the international body of the UN that is responsible for international action on climate change. The UNFCCC hosts an annual conference-called the Conference of the Parties, or COP-that brings together the international heads of state to create a global binding treaty on climate change.
The world is looking toward COP 21 in 2015, which is to be hosted in Paris, France. COP 21 is a major turning point; the nations are to negotiate and agree to a two-part treaty –one that will dictate emissions regulations before 2020, and the other one will discuss regulations post 2020. Between now and December 2015, the world’s leaders are hosting a series of symposiums, conferences, and summits…all in the hopes of procuring a treaty that will create meaningful action around climate change. If we are to produce a meaningful treaty at COP 21, all stakeholder’s voices must be included, including those of youth. Therefore, CSSC proposes to get California youth involved via the Climate Delegates Program.
Meet our climate delegates here!
Background
The California Climate Symposium: On September 8, California’s leaders will be gathering in Sacramento, California to discuss how to best combat climate change. The symposium is called “California Leadership on Climate Change: Lessons for Paris.” It will have representation from the state government and legislator, large business and research interests, and youth. CSSC will bring 40 youth to the symposium to engage with officials, providing a space for youth to showcase the ground-breaking work they do in the climate justice movement and engage with officials to spur meaningful action.
The UN Climate Summit: This September, heads of state from across the globe will be converging in New York City to discuss climate change, at an unprecedented UN Climate Summit hosted in the name of the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon. The Summit is “aimed at catalyzing action by governments, business, finance, industry, and civil society…that will help the world shift to a low-carbon economy. The Summit will come one year before countries aim to conclude a global climate agreement in 2015 through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change…. By catalyzing action on climate change prior to the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in 2015, the Secretary-General intends to build a solid foundation on which to anchor successful negotiations and sustained progress on the road to reducing emissions and strengthening adaptation strategies.”
The Mobilization and People’s Climate March: Many youth groups and larger NGOs, seeing the summit as a turning point in global climate negotiations and a converging point for all their work, will be organizing around this summit. There will be solidarity demonstrations, online presences, a youth convergence in NYC, a Peoples’ Climate March, and post-summit organizing. On Sunday, September 21, NYC will be expecting the largest-ever turnout for a climate march that is called the People’s Climate March. Tens of thousands are expected to descend on the city to ensure the UN hears the people’s voices. There will also be a youth convergence, which the world’s youth will use as a launch pad to coordinate, organize, and launch campaign for the next few years.
CSSC’s Climate Delegate Program
CSSC will send 40 “climate delegates” to Sacramento, and 10 of those climate delegates to NYC for the mobilization around the Ban Ki Moon Summit. The climate delegates will be responsible for representing CSSC to the national and global communities represented around the summit, as well as connecting Californians with the events happening there.
All climate delegates will be responsible for the following:
- Connecting with an organization, working group, or campaign/movement of their choice while in NYC;
- Building bridges with the aforementioned group after the summit and maintain a space in the national and/or global organizing sphere;
- Attending the Sacramento symposium, and representing and showcasing the youth movement to and engaging with officials in Sacramento;
- Hosting a series of regional meetups at (or near) their home campuses to share their experiences with the local communities and engage them in national/global climate organizing;
- Hosting a workshop/session at the CSSC Fall 2014 Convergence; and
- Working with CSSC staff and interested members in maintaining CSSC’s role in these organizing spheres.
CSSC is looking for the following in delegates:
- Those who have prior involvement in following or studying climate negotiations, interest in targeting policy makers and proposed policies, interest in helping shape statewide and national climate legislation, and interest in organizing around the UN Climate Conference in Paris and beyond; or
- Those who have interest in engaging in movement building at the grassroots level, getting involved in the national organizing sphere, and be able to represent CSSC in the national and international organizing realms when it comes to these mobilizations.
Climate delegates will have their travel and materials funded by CSSC. Individuals interested in attending the UN Summit may also attend if they are not selected as a climate delegate, but will have to secure their own funding. Only individuals selected by invitation may attend the Sacramento symposium.
The Application for the UN Secretary General’s Summit has now closed. Those interested in attending may still do so with CSSC but will be responsible for their own funding.
Please send any questions to [email protected]