Financing our Future: Road to a robust climate finance system for present and future generations
It is beyond debatable that climate change is an escalating threat, and its adverse effects are already evident. Today's youth and children feel the intensity of the consequences of the climate crisis in the long run. The failure to allocate resources towards climate and people protection today will inevitably translate into greater expenditures on adaptation and addressing the consequences of environmental degradation in the future. The cost of adapting to a world ravaged by climate change far exceeds the value of any investment not made now. This failure to act not only transfers the financial burden but also imposes irreversible losses onto both current and future generations.
With this consultation, we want to get your view on the current climate finance landscape and the policy choices being made by politicians today. Young people (between 15 - 24 years old) represent a significant 16 percent of the global population, are taking an unequivocal stand in advocating for a climate just future. Young people do not demand small changes to the system, but a systemic shift to a climate resilient world and an economy that delivers for the present and future generations. To address the financial needs there is the need to revolutionize the financial architecture, tackle the debt crisis, make polluters pay by implementing a fair taxation, and rethinking our trade system. Young individuals point to the inherent flaws of our current growth-based system as the foundational problem.
Climate change could push an additional 132 million people into extreme poverty by the end of the decade. Everyone, everywhere, is better off if we start to think systematically about our finance needs to tackle climate change, and to shift our financial system into a sustainable model.
What do you think are key steps we need to take to make this happen? Let your voice be heard on these three discussion topics:
- Youth engagement in climate finance: challenges and opportunities
- Rethinking the financial and the economic system for climate justice
- Fostering intergenerational equity in climate action
We will take your voice to the ECOSOC Youth Forum, the UN’s largest platform for youth voices! The forum takes place from 16-18 April in New York and provides dialogue for Member States and Young leaders from around the world. The 2024 Forum’s discussions will be guided by the overall theme of the 2024 ECOSOC and High Level Political Forum (HLPF): “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions. This consultation feeds into the session on SDG 13: Climate Action.
Make sure your voice is heard by engaging in the three discussion rooms below!
