GLASGOW , SCOTLAND — The teens continue to exploit every avenue they have to force the universe to come to grips with their future . The late push came on Wednesday when Greta Thunberg and 13 other kids dropped a petition on United Nations Secretary - General Antonio Guterres ’ doorstep . Their demand : The UN must declare a mood emergency brake .
The petition is the grouping ’s 2d attempt to get the UN to throw its weight around . The teenager need for climate change to bedeclared a children ’s rights crisisin 2019 , only to berebuffed last calendar month . The unexampled petition , dropped in the midst of internationalclimate talksin Glasgow known asCOP26 , opens a new avenue for indemnity .
“ We respectfully call on you and Inter - Agency Standing Committee ( IASC ) to declare a systemwide climate emergency at the United Nations , ” the orison reads .
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg takes part in a protest in Glasgow.Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP (Getty Images)
The petition is fundamentally the effectual rendering of Thunberg ’s “ blah blah claptrap ” mantra , ask the UN to put its brawniness where its mouth is . It inquire the UN to nominate a crisis direction team to manage widescale action to boil down emissions and protect the most vulnerable .
“ I trust the postulation sends a content of urgency , ” Alexandria Villaseñor , one of the prayer signatories and a U.S.-based youth militant , severalize Earther . “ We have had 26 COPs that have been failures . aright now is the fourth dimension to take action , and we demand to do that urgently . It ’s young people and younker who are continuously reminding those in power that we necessitate to do something right now , and this prayer is an authoritative means to do that . ”
This would be dissimilar than the usual UN unconscious process , such as the clime talks that happen in unlike location every year , and would instead focus all facets of the organization and world government on the mood crisis .
“ With esteem to the petition , we ’re in a import of prison term where it ’s critically important for the UN system to recognize that countries are distribute with a mounting climate catastrophe , ” Carroll Muffett , the head of the Center for International Environmental Law , tell in a WhatsApp call . “ That have in mind plan for issues of supplanting , adaptation , and resilience . All of these are proceeds in which the UN has appropriate and on-going expertness . The UN has a decisive function to play in all these issues and in urging countries to act . ”
The petition argues that this is necessary because climate action must not stop at state borders . ” And frankly , most countries have n’t precisely done a fringe - up job deal C defilement anyways . A flurry of pledges at the COP26 offer a tantalizing glimpse of a good track forward . But many of the promises arenonbindingand couldleave wiggle roomfor countries to carry on fund our collective day of reckoning . A UN emergency proclamation would , in theory at least , help put pressure on countries to come to the table and extend support . The petition notes the UN did this with covid-19 , which unlocked powers and entreaty for funding to help combat a global health crisis .
The chemical group of teens also reason that this is especially important to their genesis and those live on in developing res publica . “ The countries that emit the least face the greatest risks , ” the case continues . “ UNICEF has identify 33 countries as ‘ super high danger ’ for youngster due to threats from clime change . Those countries contain half the domain ’s children but are collectively creditworthy for only nine percent of CO2 emissions . The ten highest give off country calculate for nearly 70 % of global emission , but only one , India , is place as ‘ extremely high - risk . ’ ”
The UN part roll in the hay the mathematical group of new adults last month by shooting down their call that five major emitters were infringing on their rightfulness as children . The rejection come after an advisory council settle that yes , climate change was violating kids ’ rights — but that the UN could n’t do anything about it until the kid expel all choice in the various land they were call out . The ruling is a petty plentiful given that kids have file national case around the worldly concern only for them to become ensnare in a Mobius strip of court hearings with no exit .
Juliana vs. United States is perhaps the most in high spirits - visibility typeface . It ’s get hold of so long that some of the kids are now grownup — and it still has n’t make a firmness assettlement dialogue just stalled out . Still , Muffett said the ruling was still “ really authoritative to move outside practice of law in this infinite ” because it noted that young people ’s rights were being violated by the clime crisis . That in and of itself is groundbreaking even if the committee did n’t feel it could behave .
kid are in a particularly parlous posture given that they will have to live the majority of their lives in a world created by the policymakers of today . The next decade is one that will need unprecedented . action around the world to reduce carbon pollution tied with burning fossil fuels . The choices policymakers pick will localize the course of the planet yet kids have no suffrage in who will represent them and their choices . No wonder the teens are soupset and freak out . abstracted theatrical performance at the federal or local level , the UN could be kids ’ best shot to ensure their voice are heard and their indigence for a habitable time to come are converge .
“ The United Nations connects the entire public together , and we necessitate global activity on the climate crisis , ” Villaseñor read . “ for show gravid leading , they have to declare a climate emergency brake . ”
Climate changeGreta Thunberg
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