Such a platform, which could be called The Bio and Climate Forum, could help create new knowledge for young people interested to know more about both climate and biodiversity issues
Over the last few months, I had the chance of better observing the diverse, multifaceted landscape of both the climate and biodiversity activism in Nepal.
I found a wealth of experiences being led by young people and promising professionals in their twenties or early thirties. Both sectors, the one related to biodiversity and the one focused on climate, have plentiful of youths really enthusiastic about ensuring the long-term viability of the planet Earth.
What struck me is not just their passion and determination. All the activists I met, and there are many more that I still do not know, are also extremely competent and knowledgeable on the complex technicalities related to biodiversity preservation and climate justice. Some of them are internationally recognised. This is something that Nepal should be very proud of.
Considering the sacrifices that most of them have to endure to be on the top of the game in complex areas of biodiversity and climate policymaking, these activists must be given a voice and platform. At the same time, their diversity and specific backgrounds might also mean that some of them get more exposure and visibility than others.
What I also noticed is that there is no much coordination and cooperation among them. The way that both the governances implementing the Convention on Biodiversity and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change operate is certainly not helping.
The climate negotiations are, on their own, very fragmented in many sub-areas, each requiring high levels of expertise. For example, we have mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance, gender and social inclusion and the use of technology on the top of difficult-to-understand market-based solutions like carbon markets.
The Convention on Biodiversity, with its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework approved in 2022, has also equally complex and multilayered governance. Yet, finally at the recently held Biodiversity COP held in Cali, Colombia, a new consensus is emerging to get the climate and biodiversity' governances and related negotiations much more aligned to each other.
Why not take this development as a way to have a unified and yet loose platform where climate and biodiversity activists, especially the young ones, can come together and coordinate with each other?
It is true that there are already networks of both climate and biodiversity activists but what I have in mind is something less formal and more agile. What about an umbrella network or network of networks with a decentralised structure and with periodic gatherings for sharing information and knowledge creation? For example, every month, a half-day plenary could be held in which everyone interested would feel welcome to participate.
Imagine a series of presentations – or follow-up debates – to be held each time according to fixed rules agreed by all the participants. This platform, which could be called The Bio and Climate Forum, could help create new knowledge for young people interested to know more about both climate and biodiversity issues. It could become a place where expertise and new know-how is generated from the bottom, say among high school students, and inclusively.
It would also have another indispensable role, bringing youths leaders from both biodiversity and climate areas to talk to each other. I do hope some merit will be found in this idea, especially because I do believe in the power of coordination and partnerships. As all young biodiversity and climate activists are working hard to have recognition and visibility, having a united front could help their joint cause of being taken seriously by the federal government and local ones.
There are ways of thinking how this platform would work in practice. Here I will offer some rough ideas as also some key principles. Let's start with the latter.
First of all, it must be youths-led. Second, inclusion. Everyone, especially from the generally unrepresented groups, should be welcome, no matter the level of expertise. However, those interested to continue their involvement should show their dedication and commitment to help run the platform.
Third, ownership and volunteerism. The platform should be put in place through a voluntary effort and should be fully owned through a networked governance that puts emphasis on participants' commitment. This means that international development partners, foreign governments' aid agencies and INGOs should not contribute financially. One thing should be clear: such a platform should not become preoccupied or focused on fundraising to pay for its functioning. Colleges, both public and private, could host the sessions on a rotational basis.
Decentralised nature. The initiative could envision a plenary body operating at the centre, in the federal capital, but also independent plenaries could operate across the provinces and districts.
Now coming to more practical issues, a lot of options should be considered. For example, each month an activist or a group of them could, on a rotational basis, lead the agenda and the proceedings. NGOs led by youths could also take a role in running the discussions. The overwhelming goal of this idea is to bring youths-led expertise on climate, biodiversity and perhaps also disaster preparedness and management together.
How to start? With the Biodiversity COP just concluded and with the Climate COP underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, those activists who attended them could come together to share their own experiences and lessons learned. The idea of setting up the Bio and Climate Forum, or whatever name is chosen, could be proposed then.
An open and inclusive working group could be established and work transparently and inclusively. Hopefully, the magnitude of the challenge and its burden on the youths will help some bold brainstorming and action.
