Climate Justice is social justice; to bring about climate justice, collective action is the key, says Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a representative of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines or YACAP. Tan discussed the Role of the Youth in Climate Justice during the first e-Talk Learning Session called #Youth4ClimateJustice: The Future Is Now held last October 16, 2023.
In her presentation, Tan argues that “the Philippines is already experiencing the worst effects of the current – 1 degree Celsius in global temperatures.” The Philippines has minimal contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions and yet the country is one of the most vulnerable countries when it comes to the impact of climate change. The country’s failure to adapt to the climate crisis can be linked to the country’s colonial and semi-colonial past.
Who is the youth and why should the youth lead? According to the Philippine Statistics Office, the youth is composed of 15 to 30 years old, with a projected population of 29, 974, 800, and belongs to different classes of society mostly from basic sectors (i.e., farmers and workers.
“It’s our turn in the relay race. We possess the physical and mental energy to grasp environmental issues and act on them collectively.” Tan further explains it is the youth who shall inherit what’s left of the planet in the future.
Finally, Tan also calls for collective action. “We have a systemic problem right now so we need to pursue systemic solutions. Climate Justice is social justice. To bring about climate justice, collective action is the key.”
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All the way from Kidapawan in Cotabato, Mindanao, Vingie Dahan of the Hiraya Youth Foundation discussed the Youth on Rights Nature Advocacy for the second lecture. Entitled, Youth on Rights of Nature Advocacy, Dahan talks about the intrinsic value of nature and its right to exist and thrive, “Nature should be recognized as a right-bearing personality and assume a legal personality in the process. Efforts to recognize this are now happening across the world.”
Her lecture also explains that nature has the right to exist and thrive, regenerate and flourish, have habitat, and maintain vital cycles. Humans must adapt their legal, political, and economic, and social systems to be consistent with the way the natural order works. It differs from the prevailing modern industrial paradigm, such that it does not view nature as property of a superior species (humans). It views human beings as co-stewards and co-keepers who should always strive to achieve harmony with nature.
Lastly, young people across the country are leading the rights of nature campaign, which are now being waged on the political front.