Young people from Latin America and the Caribbean foster inter-generation climate justice

CAF—development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean—backed the "Latin American Youth Climate Conference - RCOY LATAM 2023." It is an event that gathers young people from the region to discuss and come up with actions around climate change. It is the culmination of a 5-month process, with over 10,000 hours of meetings with young people, including trainings—some provided by environmental specialists from CAF—and meetings to start drafting the declaration approved at the conference, demanding inter-generation climate justice as a principle where current generations are responsible for protecting the environment for future generations. This year, the event was attended by more than 400 young people from 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The central goal of RCOY LATAM 2023 Climate Conference organized by ClimaLab, Ecohouse, Uno.Cinco, Sustainability without Borders, PactoXelClima, sponsored by CAF, is the youth declaration that focuses on best practices in climate action for decision-makers. It is a document with recommendations collectively built since June by 10,000 young people from different countries in Latin America, supported by review sessions with experts, including from CAF on: losses and damages, just energy transition, biodiversity, and climate finance.

"I'm happy to join more than 400 young people meeting in person as of today in Bogotá, and 100 online, to share their proposals and solutions applicable to climate change at the RCOY2023 conference. At CAF we pledge to advance a green agenda, with more environmentally responsible projects, and listening to the voice of young people who experience this problem with more sensitivity and responsibility. I also want to underscore that, at CAF, we are convinced of the need to give a voice to the subjects of public policies, and this is why we endorse this conference," said Nathalie Gerbasi, Director of Institutional Development and Training (DDIC) at CAF—development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.

She also noted that "we have been actively participating, with expert knowledge and hands-on experience, in these months of preparation. Now we hope that the declaration will help us have a greater impact and reach in LAC in order to start raising awareness and changing public policies with environmental impact.

Gerbasi ended her remarks with the call: "In our region, LAC, we must have a single voice in order in order to have greater impact in the fight against Climate Change. We must act NOW!, Young People in Action!"

At the closing of the conference, members presented the final declaration "From proposal to implementation: Towards a regional climate stance of the youth," where "we recognize the political and social nature of the climate crisis that compounds the lives of our people, exacerbates pre-existing inequalities, and perpetuates social injustices that hinder a good living. The solutions must have a triple impact, which can only be assessed by understanding national particular features. If it's not sustainable, it's not development. With no social justice, there is no environmental justice." Similarly, they pledge to work on ambitious climate actions in the region with a regional inclusive approach, for the identification of more than 100 climate initiatives, prioritizing 20, which are considered best practices in the 4 areas (loss and damage, just energy transition, biodiversity, and climate finance).

Colombian authorities attended the closing of the RCOY LATAM 2023, who received the declaration, and pledged compliance. One notable attendee was Colombia's Vice President Francia Márquez, who explained that "defending life, defending the climate cannot be just rhetoric, it cannot be just empty words. It needs to be translated into concrete actions."

In addition, Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Susana Muhamad noted: "Colombia is seeking a coalition of countries that discuss fossil fuels at the COP."

Jointly with the International Youth Organization for Ibero-America (OIJ), CAF is committed in the process of supporting RCOY, with the purpose of reinforcing the leadership of young people in the fight against climate change. The OIJ has accepted the declaration as a valuable input in devising a "New Youth Agenda" in favor of young people in our region, as part of its commitment to inclusion and diversity. This is a landmark conference in the process of creating "recommendations from the youth based on best practices on climate change in Latin America" in order to have an impact on the conclusions of COP28 in Dubai. At CAF, we take in the results of this conference to move forward in the process of creating a new agenda for the youth of our region that includes an inter-generation climate justice approach.

CAF continues to work with RCOY in co-drafting the document "FROM PROPOSAL TO ACTION: Recommendations based on best practices on climate change in Latin America." On October 26, CAF Corporate VP of Strategic Programming Christian Asinelli, and Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity Manager Alicia Montalvo, will meet with more young people from Latin America for new inputs into the declaration. The Ecology and Development Foundation (ECODES) actively participates in facilitation, as well as representatives from ClimaLab, Ecohouse, Uno.Cinco, Sustainability without Borders, and PactoXelClima. The advocacy process will culminate in an event at the CAF pavilion at COP28 in Dubai, to launch with them and with the OIJ the "LATAM Youth Cooperation Mechanism on the Global Climate Action Agenda."