This week, we are right in the thick of COP29 – the United Nation’s annual climate conference. As world leaders and their delegations from every country in the world descend upon Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, the big ticket at this Conference of Parties (COP) is climate finance.
Many people are probably wondering, what is COP all about? COP was designed to help the world halt dangerous impacts of man-made climate change and prevent global warming through capping greenhouse gas emissions.
In 1997, the countries of the world agreed upon the Kyoto Protocol, which established the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities. Which basically means every country needs to contribute to addressing climate change but the onus lies on developed countries to lead the way and take the most ambitious action. They then need to provide finance to developing countries so they sustainably develop their economies.
Last year was the hottest year recorded in human history. The negative impacts of climate change are becoming more common and adversely impacting developing countries. My family comes from Zimbabwe, a country that has faced successive climate-induced droughts that have severely limited the supply of water in the country. Crops are failing, livestock is dying and people are starving.
Countries like Tuvalu and Kiribati risk having their very existence threatened by rising sea levels. In addition to the human, social and environmental costs of climate change, there is also the cost of mitigating, adapting to and recovering from climate harms. Of the 24 climate disasters experienced by the US in 2024, each cost US$1 billion in damage.
Globally, the cost of climate change is in the trillions. With the negative impacts of climate change becoming an ever-present reality, climate finance is needed to help Global South countries adapt and recover from climate harms. The sum of money for this will be negotiated this week under the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance.
I am lucky enough to be at COP29 this week, and so far I’ve been asked a lot of, “why do young people need to be at COP? And “what do young people expect from COP29?” I would argue – it would be a travesty if young people were not represented at COP. Young people are the most affected by climate change despite contributing the least to climate change.
Through the Fridays for Future Movement and the Duty of Care Bill, young people in Australia and globally have shown time and time again that they care about climate change and wish to have a say in their futures. Their voices must be at the decision-making table. This is especially the case for girls from the Pacific, the front-lines of today’s climate crisis. We need more Pasifika voices in the rooms and halls of COP – these are the young people on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and they’re some of the most passionate and determined change-makers I have seen.
A study jointly conducted by Plan International Australia and Kiribati Climate Action Network (KiriCAN) heard from over 350 girls in six countries across the Pacific, including Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati. The report spotlights the urgent challenges facing adolescent Pacific girls due to the climate crisis not limited to disrupted schooling, food and water scarcity. All of which are essential to life and self actualisation.
The report introduces us to Lusiana, a 10 year old Indigenous girl living in rural Fiji. Each day she walks to school and accesses services after treacherously crossing a river. When the tide is high, her mum has to carry her on her shoulders across the inundated bridges so that she can go to learn and play with other kids. There is every chance that as severe weather events, such as heavy rainfall increase, girls like Lusiana won’t be able to go to school for long periods of time.
Another girl, Filo, lives in rural Fiji. Her village has one main water source which often becomes contaminated after climate disasters. When asked what this means for her family, reflecting on the last severe weather event she had this to say: “We had to walk a few miles to fetch water from the river. This poses a huge negative impact on my health and personal security as a person living with disability.” Water from the river often causes skin diseases and illness. Right now because of climate change, girls in the Pacific are sacrificing their health, safety and security to get water, go to school and access services. Yet, Pacific girls are rarely in the rooms of COP.
Young people, and particularly Pacific girls, need to have a say in the future of their communities and their islands. Like young people across the world, Pacific girls desire to shape a just future and contribute to action based on their lived experiences.
True action for climate change must address the needs of every person affected by climate harms – Pacific girls are no different. Whilst at COP we can expect to see many business leaders and lobbyists, but the voices of girls like Filo and Lusiana – and their unique experiences and solutions – are often missing. I wonder what would happen if negotiators asked either girl what they believe climate finance should look like? Or what the funds should go towards? How much richer could the debates and the final text be if it was pioneered by the ones on the frontlines of the crisis?
At this COP we may not truly know the answer to this question. But as Australia strengthens its bid to host COP31 in partnership with the Pacific, what is clear is the need to meaningfully include the voices of Pacific girls, enable them to advocate on behalf of their communities and speak truth to power. Filo and Lusiana not only deserve to be heard, they need to be at the forefront of canvassing solutions. As the inheritors of this planet, young people need to have a say in their futures. A successful COP, be it COP29 or COP31, will miss the mark if it does not centre those at the forefront of the climate crisis.
Kupa is part of Plan International Australia’s Youth Activist Series for 2024. She is an award-winning human rights activist, social entrepreneur and intersectional feminist. Much of Kupa’s work focuses on the nexus of youth empowerment, gender equality, justice reform and climate change. Kupakwashe previously worked as a policy and research officer at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Using her experience in community, Kupakwashe advises the NSW Department of Home Affairs on issues affecting African youth and those from migrant and refugee backgrounds.