Badr Al Ammari (left) and Owais Al Salahi during the session.
Doha, Qatar: The lively dialogue between youth from the Generation Sustainable Development Network in Qatar, the United States, Mexico, India and others led to an interesting exchange of opinions, views and ideas on a number of topics in a discussion session.
The session which addressed the role of youth-led initiatives in driving climate action innovations, and what strategies can enable them to become climate activists, was held on the sidelines of the Climate Ambition Summit.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) at the Microsoft building in New York City, US. The session was moderated by Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa of the Global Green Growth Institute Dr. Mahamadou Tounkara. Youth were also represented by the session’s moderator, student Badr Al Ammari. Student Owais Al Salahi also participated in the session.
The discussion also included youth-led initiatives such as the SD Generation Network, which plays a pivotal role in driving innovation in climate action because they bring new perspectives, boundless energy and a commitment to change, as well as building on the momentum created by youth.
Youth have been making the case throughout the year with climate change issues, and finding ways to ensure that this enthusiasm translates into tangible policy changes and impactful sustainability initiatives. Addressing the session, Assistant Undersecretary for Climate Affairs, Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Al Sada spoke about the efforts made by Qatar to enhance its climate ambitions, stressing the importance of the role of youth in achieving the country’s aspirations as they represent the future.
Director General of GGGI, Dr. Frank Rijsberman thanked Qatar for the constructive cooperation with the institute, pointing out the importance of increasing youth representation in implementing plans and proposing initiatives that contribute to the implementation of decisions.
The session discussed supporting and developing more youth-led projects to address climate challenges specific to local communities, given that climate change represents a global crisis, but its impact is often felt more acutely at the local level, in addition to many ideas about the role of technology in mobilising youth to climate action and what digital tools and platforms can foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among young climate activists.
