Much of the coverage of #COP29 has been negative. News items have mostly focused on the disappointing outcomes of the climate finance negotiations. TPM researcher and educator dr. BinBin Jiang Pearce experienced a different side of the conference.
‘I wasn’t expecting to feel more optimistic about our ability to take effective climate action, but, in fact, I do’, explains dr. Pearce. ‘I was surrounded by people who have already been taking action in their own communities, in the face of all sorts of challenges. It was inspiring to see so many work towards systemic solutions, all coming together in the same place.’
Dr. BinBin Jiang Pearce was invited to be a speaker at the Tools4Youth Marketplace, an interactive session where people, particularly the youth, could discover and engage with capacity-building resources. These resources aim to help youth drive climate action and facilitate positive change in communities. Dr. Pearce shared the concept behind The Changemaker’s Guide to the Energy Transition, a playbook based on integrated design and systems thinking. The approach builds on the knowledge and experiences of community members themselves, alongside expert knowledge, to drive change in the energy transition. The tool was developed and funded within the scope of the #H2020 project ENCLUDE on the topic of energy citizenship, a project that Dr. Pearce led.
Back at TPM, dr. Pearce reflects: ‘As a university, we are in a unique position to help young people facilitate the change they want to see in the world. So how do we take on this responsibility? How should the education we provide foster that capacity?’ Further, she says: ‘Science had a relatively small presence at the COP negotiations this year, but research and education has an essential role to play, so that change is not only talked about, but actually implemented in the world.’
#climatechange #climateaction #capacitybuilding #Youth4Capacity United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) YOUNGO
