Last week, I had the privilege of attending The Climate Conversation at the Southbank Centre and hearing from an amazing group of young climate justice activists: Greta Thunberg, Tori Tsui, Dominique Palmer, Daphne Frias, Mya-Rose Craig and Ati Viviam Villafaña, with Alice Aedy from Earthrise as the host.
The panel last gathered at the The New York Times Climate Hub during COP26 in November 2021 and reconvened on Sunday to review progress, and discuss the action we still need from our world leaders, ahead of this year’s COP28 in Dubai.
The conversation focussed on the importance of an intersectional approach to the climate crisis which includes everyone and raises the voices of those most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis (who coincidentally have contributed the least in terms of carbon emissions). It was especially valuable listening to Ati Viviam Villafaña, an indigenous activist from the Arhuaco people of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, who said that relying on COP28 to stop climate change was “a waste of time”.
Instead the panel emphasised the need for care, community and collective action. Greta Thunberg urged everyone in the audience to join the climate movement, stating that “everyone can contribute in different ways” and that “we need every possible skill”. Domi Palmer expanded further, adding that whether you’re an activist, a creative, or you love spreadsheets; everyone has a role.
It was refreshing to see female leadership at this event – something which we desperately need and is so often missing from decision-making spaces – however, I also thought about society’s expectation for women to take on unpaid labour to help others survive and thrive. The climate movement appears to be no exception. In response to a question about why climate activists are overwhelmingly female, the panel responded with a quote from Mary Robinson: “when the problem is manmade, the solution is feminist”.
After an intense week of campaigning, the activists were clearly exhausted and it’s not fair. Why should the burden fall on young (mostly female) people, to fight for our planet which is being destroyed by corporate greed? I felt their self-sacrifice, the anger towards those who have caused the crisis and continue to delay action when the science is so clear. The following day, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak announced hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licences as part of a plan to “max out” fossil fuel reserves. What part of this being an emergency do our leaders not understand?
Despite the seriousness of the issues raised, there was some hope to be gained from this discussion, as the panel reflected on some of their successes. For example, Tori Tsui shared that earlier this month, as a result of the pressure from Stop Cambo campaigners, regulators delayed their decision to open the Rosebank oil field. The panel demonstrated that when people come together, change can happen.
The evening concluded with the panel holding up their #StopRosebank banner and a crowd of nearly 3,000 people chanting “climate justice now”. This felt like a very poignant and powerful moment and gives me hope that, with everyone playing their part, the power of people might just be enough.
Planet Poppy 