World Environment Day 2022: Young People as Forerunners of Nature: Only One Earth

As the international community celebrates today, June 5, the World Environment Day,  with the Theme: “Only One Earth”  Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun SAN and Abimbola Abikoye examines the role of Young People as Forerunners of Nature. Introduction: Another World Environmental Day is here with the theme, “Only One Earth” This year’s event is historic in that it marks 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. That Conference marked the start of dialogue between developed and developing nations on the link between economic growth and environmental degradation. The question on the lips of many is whether this year’s celebration will end as just another annual ritual of beautiful aspirational statements devoid of firmness of commitment.  The reason for asking this question is not for fetched.

The urgency to solve the impact of climate change has continued to meet with political resistance, something akin to “outright capture by powerful interests opposed to bold and just solutions offered by young people, desperate to defend their future rights to a clean and healthy planet”. Gradually, the world is beginning to witnessa historic shift in youth representation as passive members of society to active members seeking for more inclusion against climate change and environmental injustice, and improving the stakes for vulnerable communities. The earth is one of humanity’s greatest and most priceless possession, offering life and growth in abundance. However, much of how the earth’s resources have been utilised since the pre-industrial age has become a major global concern, sparking various movements of young people calling for more political will to address the challenge. Several scientific research has proven that human-induced activities are causing significant ecological damage to the ecosystems and the resonating clarion call since the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 has been for a system change to keep the global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius while giving room for ecosystem recovery to achieve sustainable development. Indeed, in October, 2016, the Report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urged for rapidfar-reaching actionsto cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. Dating back to the ancient Greeks, it has been perceived that human have the potentials to change temperatures and influence rainfall through the cutting down of trees among others.  Beyond perception however, the reality of the transition from an agrarian to an industrial society is that ecosystems have seen more ecological damages due to the emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel, deepening poverty, widening inequality, and increased large-scale migration.These are significant challenges calling for swift political actionswhich sadlyhave been elusive.  Politicization of climate change has continued with more of aggressive lip-service than committed actions.  If we are to make a difference, we must deepen the role of young people as critical role actors in the social, digital and natural space. Young People and Environmental Sustainability Climate change is a global threat and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, threatening the global economy and social advancement, especially for the urban poor. It is a post-modern day challenge that requires a unified and inclusive response from the lowest strata of society to the highest, and young people play a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future free from these challenges. It is no news that the youth population is a nation’s workforce. Managed appropriately, youth population and ambition can be the driver of climate change justice, particularly in birthing innovation to transition into environmental sustainability in aid of ecosystem restoration. According to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, “Young people have been at the vanguard of proposing good solutions, advocating for climate justice, and holding elected officials accountable”. Various innovations from young people worldwide have scaled the climate action process to meet Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC) goals set by theirrespective countries.NDCs are at the heart of the Paris Agreement (the legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted in December, 2015 and which entered into force in December, 2016). CSOs, Youth-led organisations and enterprises are making significant progress towards meeting the climate challenge at local, regional and global levels. Consequently, aggressive promotion of the role of young people in achieving environmental sustainability cannot be underestimated if we are to meet the oppressive barriersthat gender inequality and age have continued to create against efforts aimed at reaching political leaders to get them to act right. Young people are leveraging technology, new media and various inventions to accelerate sustainable development, particularly climate action.

Across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, young people are shaping the climate era using innovation and climate-smart initiatives to tackle the various effects of climate change.From smart-agriculture innovationled by Community Action for Food Security an organisationdedicated to elevating the livelihood of small-scale farmers through value-added development; Green Republic Farm an organisation on a mission to merchandiseclimate-smart agriculture;EcoTuTu, a climate cleantechorganisation working to provide a viable cold storage solution for agricultural businesses; Revamp Rave Network Initiativecurrently training 200 young advocates across the six continent to enable them for more climate-conscious action in their locality. Revamp Rave Network Initiativeis dedicated to promoting climate education through training while using environmental advocacy to move coastal communities for climate action;Greenaxis a waste management social enterprise working towards a waste-free environment;and MushinToTheWorld an organisation dedicated to grassroots mobilisation for environmental sustainabilitythrough inclusive youth engagement, to mention a few.These youth are drivingsmart initiatives to help the Nigerianenvironmentecosystems. Still, a lot needs to be done to meet up the challenge through human capital development and investment where relevant. Clear from what Nigerian youths are doing, it cannot be denied that young people are beginning to fully appreciate the adverse impact of climate change in the way it affects their lives and health outcomes and how this can progress to the next generation if not tackled. The danger of extreme weather conditions altering the ecosystems; waste and pollution of the various ecosystems, intensifying challenges in living conditions high among which is unemployment – all of these and many more have inextricably been linked to climate change.  As the group that are most challenged by the various intensifying environmental problems, we cannot continue to leave them out of decision-making processes.  They call the loudest for climate action.  They are in position to leverage, the digital ecosystem to expand knowledge and understand trends to demand greater accountability, enforcement, and implementation of climate change policies within their communities. Consequently, meeting the challenges confronting young people in order to harness their potential and innovative prowess as a step towards solving the most unprecedented challenges of our time is a fundamental imperative. Nigerian youth are more than capable to rise up to the challenge. 

Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun SAN, a Professor of Environmental Law and Director, Environmental Law Research Institute (ELRI),  is the immediate Past Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University ( LASU). Abimbola Abikoye is a social impacts analyst, Environmentalist and an EU Youth Advisor to Nigeria and the Economic Community Of West African States ( ECOWAS).  She is the founder Revamp Rave Network Initiative( RRNI)