eco@cop15 post event report

Back from Copenhagen

Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore)POST COP-15 REPORT

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Our Youth. Our FutureSociety Reg. No: ROS326/2002Charity Reg. No: 1739

ECO Singapore would like to thank the following sponsors for their kind generosity and support.

Banyan Tree Global Foundations, Singapore Airlines, Young AMP and Chinapower Plus Pte Ltd.

Group Message

The Team

Climate Change Imperative

COP15 / Hopenhagen

Activities Undertaken

Reflections

ECO’s perspective

Beyond COP15

Appendix

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For enquiries, please contactWilson Ang (President/Founder)Tel: (65) 6333 5543 / 9147 4541

Email: [email protected]

CONTENTS PAGE

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There is no doubt that our world is changing and this includes our climate. Impact will be felt beyond mere environmental loss. Instead, this loss will induce geopolitical, social and economic challenges which have already begun surfacing. The issue is real, urgent and severe; silence (inaction) is no longer an option.

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Climate change is real, urgent and severe. In the past few years, developments in climate science and increasing observable occurrences of extreme weather events have brought climate change to the forefront of the global agenda. The 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has conclusively demonstrated climate change is unequivocally human-induced. Despite this, measures being implemented so far have been woefully inadequate

At this critical juncture, we have a narrow window of opportunity to put in place concrete and far-ranging measures that will determine the fate of humanity and the Earth at large. If we decide not to do so, the cost of inaction will be massive and irreversible. Ultimately, climate change is not solely an environmental issue, but also a humanitarian, moral, security, social and economic one, one that truly affects all spheres of human civilization, from food security to the question of basic survival for the most vulnerable.

Recognizing this, 15 of us from Singapore, took part in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) held between the 7th and the 18th of December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Working with youth leaders and youth-led organizations from all corners of the globe, as part of the Youth Constituency under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), better known as YOUNGO, we participated in several of its initiatives to make our crucial voices heard

2009 was a landmark year for YOUNGO. For the first time, the youth constituency was formally institutionalized and recognized by the UNFCCC as a stakeholder in the emissions reductions negotiation process. The youth constituency, with its new status, will provide a much needed perspective to the political negotiations. It is a great opportunity for passionate youth to come together effectively in one unified voice to show the world that there is much at stake and that young people are key stakeholders in finding solutions.

Recognition of the role of youth as pivotal stakeholders in the climate change negotiation is timely, well-deserved and long overdue. Youth are essential stakeholders that will inherit decisions made today, and will live in the social, economic and environmental condition that result from actions taken.

As constituents of YOUNGO, we pushed for greater efforts in tackling climate change by global leaders. We have created a global network of alliances in hope to continue motivating leaders along the directions of green policy formulation and spreading grassroots adoption of a sustainable lifestyle. Together, we aim to continue strengthening this global youth movement in the months and years to come.

In the following pages, we will share our experiences during the UN Climate Change Conference and future direction we aim to take in promoting green movements locally and internationally. As representatives of the Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore) delegation, we hope that you will find our experience insightful and will continue to lend support to our cause.

The ECO Singapore TeamJanuary, 2010

GROUP MESSAGE

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THE TEAM

In-line with the organisation’s mission to engage Singapore youth on global efforts to curb climate change, 15 youth were selected to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 15) held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 7-18 Dec 09 under the banner of ECO Singapore. The delegates were selected through a highly competitive process , which consisted of passionate future leaders and budding environmentalists.

Partially sponsored by Banyan Tree Global Foundation, they worked closely with over 2000 youth internationally to push for a legally binding agreement that would be fair to all parties and ambitious in nature. The 15 delegates played lead roles in the International Conference of Youth (COY) held at the sidelines of COP 15. They were also involved in consultations with eminent international leaders and business groups. Refer to Appendix B for profile of the ECO Singapore delegation.

Objectives at COP-15(i) Sensitize the Singapore public to climate change issues and what is at stake at the negotiations (ii) Empower delegation members to be local and global leaders in the fight against climate change (iii) Support and shape the global youth environmental movement to be a credible stakeholder in efforts to mitigate climate change (iv) Contribute the perspectives of Singapore youth to on-going global climate change negotiations

1) Refer to Appendix A for background on Environmental Challenge Organiszation (Singapore)2) Participants were shortlisted based on the merits of two essays on climate change they submitted and were thereafter chosen after a series of presentations and discussions.3) Our delegates are Singaporean youth from all races and walks of life. 12 of our delegates are Singaporean youth based in Singapore while 8 are studying in the UK and 1 in the United States.

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CLIMATE CHANGE IMERATIVE

“Climate change” refers to the change in weather patterns over an extended period of time, spanning from decades to millennia. These changes can manifest themselves in the form of melting glaciers and icecaps, changes in vegetation cover distribution, collapse of ecosystems unable to adapt and perhaps most famously, rising sea levels.

Though it has been debated that climate change is a natural cyclical phenomenon the earth undergoes, human actions have played a significant role too as reflected conclusively in the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Global greenhouse gas emission levels have increased by 70% between 1970 and 2004. Following this trend, it is expected that the global average

temperature will rise by 1.8 to 4.0°C by 2100. An increase of 2°C is expected to have catastrophic effects on our climate and many ecosystems.

In this regard, climate change will have a profound impact on human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights such as the right to life, security, food, and health. At the same time, efforts to mitigate the causes and effects of climate change are raising complex questions on the economic rights of nations to prosper and improve the lives of their people.

Pressing concerns include rising sea level which threatens low lying coastal cities and small island states such as ours. Proliferation of certain diseases has increased as a result of rising temperatures which enable disease carrying micro-organisms expand their geographical reach.

Weather patterns have also become more unpredictable and violent. Climate change has been attributed to the increased hurricane frequency and intensity in the North Atlantic as well as prolonged heat and cold spells in different parts of the world over the last few years.

Climate change will have profound impact on national and international security as conflicts over natural resources may rise dramatically. Changes in migration patterns and a surge of refugees may become inevitable. If we do not act decisively and with greater resolve, there will be a major shift in global order and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

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COP15 / HOPENHAGEN

COP15 has been cited as a disappointment by many. This comes as no surprise as hopes were high for a legally binding and fair document which will lay out concrete steps in mitigation, adaptation, financing and technology transfer. There were no specific steps adopted to move the process significantly forward. In addition, there was a general sense of mistrust between many countries due to the lack of transparency of some of the negotiations.

While these developments do not bode well for future talks, COP15 did not end in stalemate. Key players eventually came together to work out a Copenhagen Accord which sets some foundation towards the Mexico negotiations in 2010. While the Accord is not a legal document and does not bind nations into action, it provides a template for future discussions by laying out points of agreement among key nations.

In addition, progress was made in narrowing the divide between developed and developing nations. These parties have agreed to monitor, report and verify the cuts they have committed themselves to, under the Copenhagen Accord, albeit to different extents. This is in contrast to the Kyoto Protocol, where only developed countries made commitments that were subject to compliance mechanisms.

Furthermore, this COP saw a massive rise in civil society participation which indicated increased awareness regarding the urgency of climate change. Youth representatives provided new perspectives to the negotiations, especially at a conference traditionally attended by bureaucrats and politicians. The high level of participation in variety of non-violent actions, from candlelight vigils to hunger strikes, conveyed public expectations on the delivery of a concrete action plan at the end of the conference.

A notable stumbling block for COP15 was the NGO ‘lock-out’ during the final days of the

negotiations. As a response to the violent protests occurring on the streets of Copenhagen, many NGOs were prevented from entering Bella Center, the key negotiating area. This led to further dissent which motivated NGOs into doing more and planning actions that were to follow up on negotiations at Copenhagen. These dedicated NGO leaders continued to work hard during the second week, particularly on strategies that focused on tasks post-COP 15. NGOs tapped onto the networks they have built with other delegates and organizations within and beyond their respective countries.

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ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN

“ You need idealistic people, especially young ones, who will go out and campaign, champion for good environmental causes and make sure people pay attention. ”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressing the ECO delegation, December 2009

The team with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Copenhagen

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Our strategy during COP15 was to have a wide participation across different functions of YOUNGO. Being a small group, we effectively split ourselves according to areas of interest and competencies ensuring we were able to contribute significantly and effectively to the youth movement.

Our delegation took lead roles in the organization of the annual Global Conference of Youth (COY) held before the start of the UNCCC. Over the course of the UNCCC, the team actively engaged Singaporeans through online media tools. We participated in policy lobbying, assisted YOUNGO with media and communications and increased capacity for interaction between delegates and youth.

Our leader, Wilson Ang, actively served in the Youth NGO (YOUNGO) Steering Committee, which provides oversight to all the youth activities at COP 15 and facilitates coordination between the UNFCCC and the global youth delegations attending the conference. Wilson was also appointed as the Primary Focal Point tasked with facilitating communication and coordination between the UNFCCC and the entire youth delegation.

Along with the above, we attended side events organized by various organizations and universities such as Cambridge University and the University of Copenhagen. Issues ranged from politics, to the role of businesses, to scientific studies on sustainability.

As a finale to our experience at COP 15, we were priviledged to meet our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss the issue of climate change at a policy and grassroots level relevant to Singapore.

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Organization of the Conference of Youth

ECO Singapore took lead roles in organizing the Conference of Youth (COY), held between the 5th and 6th of December, before the official start of the UNCCC. The conference aimed to educate youth delegates about the UNFCCC process, build capacity and skills such as lobbying, campaigning and using new media.

Breaking into different working teams, YOUNGO kept track of policy developments, lobbied negotiators and engaged with media. Along with this, we sought to make climate change a more tangible and human issue, thereby motivating negotiators to see the bigger picture of the issue.

Agathe Caviccholi was the chairwoman of COY. She actively hosted events during the conference and effectively facilitated discussions. Prior to COY, Loo Yong Ping designed the identity for COY and Youngo as well as all related collaterals. Zhang Yi Tao and Ng Zhi Kai also worked assiduously to assist the organizing of COY by managing the registration and information counters.

Being a diverse group of youth, the interaction shared during COY increased our openness to a variety of views, opinions and demands. This motivated us to ensure that while projecting the opinions of YOUNGO, due respect and support was given to the less represented and underdeveloped states. Recognizing the importance of this, Yi Tao played a leading role in the Global South Youth group that started from COY. Together, the group pushed the agenda of increasing the voice of Global South youth participants through coordinating events that portrayed the global south as a united front with a strong voice.

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This year’s COY, the 5th to be organized, marked a significant

achievement for youth in the fight against climate change. Over 1000 youth turned up this year, twice the

number seen in previous years. More significantly, YOUNGO has been

granted provisional constituency status which legitimizes the role of youth in the

negotiation process.

Formal constituency status of YOUNGO is due to be granted by 2011.

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On-The-Ground Conference Coverage

Through our team’s blog (www.unfcccecosingapore.wordpress.com), which was started during COP14, we provided on-the-ground coverage of COP15. This blog proved to be a pivotal tool to educate and engage with other youth who did not have the opportunity to be at the negotiations.

During the conference, our delegation posted regular updates and crafted think-pieces based on the progress of the negotiations through our official ECO delegation blog. We aimed to ensure that the Singapore public is able to follow events closely and garner our unique on-the-ground perspective.

Our blog had an average readership of 400 daily readers during the conference. Along with this, we were published in other widely read blogs and websites including The Online Citizen, which is known for its popularity with Singaporean youth, Green Business Times, which is well-associated with business followers, as well as ECO Walk the Talk.

Further to this, we uploaded photographs and videos providing a visual coverage of the conference on ECO SmugMug and YouTube. These materials were made available for use by youth participants at the conference.

In order to provide a broader perspective of the conference to our readers, Loo Yong Ping initiated a collaboration with other Asian youth delegates to blog on each other’s sites. We currently have guest bloggers from Malaysia and Japan and have formed online networks with official delegation blogs from Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and South Korea!

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Policy

As youth delegates, we aimed to provide constructive contributions to the negotiation process. To do so, it was important for us to understand the policies at hand and the negotiation process. Through thorough analysis of policy papers, we proposed concrete areas for amendments and inclusions.

Eileen Lee was involved in the YOUNGO Gender group which aimed to work on gender issues from a youth perspective. She had the opportunity to work on the policy brief calling on official delegations to acknowledge the need for gendered language in the accords.

Melissa Low and Amira Karim were active members in the YOUNGO Adaptation group. Pouring over texts of the Ad-Hoc Working Group Long Term Cooperative Agreement (AWG-LCA) and acquainting themselves with the legal texts, positions of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the African bloc, and Annex 1 countries, they pushed for greater cooperation among developed states in the assisting with the adaptation of less developed, vulnerable states. They proposed alternative language to the text and called on leaders to acknowledge that adaptation is crucial for the social and economic development of all parties and therefore require global participation. Further, the team emphasized that adaptation and mitigation efforts has to go hand in hand, as the level of adaptation required in the future depends on the level of mitigation achieved now.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Kyoto divided the world. It divided us between rich and poor, developed and developing, Annex 1 and non-Annex 1. Our task now is to unite the world, behind the shared vision of low-carbon growth… I call on every country in the room to join us, not just for the sake of the Maldives, but for all of us who live on this beautiful planet.”

President Nasheed of the Maldives

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Intervention

Fear was common among members of the youth that our efforts would be in vain with our suggestions in policy negotiations left unheard. To prevent this and to gain legitimacy, the media was actively engaged along with active lobbying of official delegates. Youth interventions were held during official negotiation sessions to voice our demands for a binding and fair agreement at the end of COP15.

Our delegation was highly involved in the crafting of youth interventions. Zhang Yi Tao and Amira Karim were engaged in the preparation of the youth interventions held during the AWG-KP and COP Plenary. Pouring through documents from the various sessions to distill the main issues where negotiations were stalling at, they worked closely with other youth to discuss how to well represent these issues. Condemning developed nations for carbon colonialism, Amira presented at the COP plenary session, calling for greater concerted efforts in regards to adaptation policies.

Refer to Appendix C for the transcripts of intervention staged.

“We have recently been made aware that some of you present in this room are proposing a fundamental overhaul of the UN process. You have proposed a new framework that will overturn the balance of obligations and responsibilities enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. You have erected barriers to exclude your peers from influencing their own futures, and in turn, have acted contrary to very principles of inclusion and equality that lies at the core of the United Nations. This imposition without discussion is tantamount to carbon colonialism—a profoundly destructive development that the youth are compelled to condemn.”

Amira Karim, Addressing the Conference of Parties-15 Plenary

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Media and Communications

Communications play an important role in providing momentum to a cause being fought. Especially in a global issue such as this, civil society beyond Bella Center and Copenhagen is important.

Further to communicating to Singaporeans, the delegation worked within YOUNGO in providing media coverage via new media technologies and traditional media sources. International media were contacted to release information on youth strategies and actions during the course of COP15. Live-feeds were provided on mainstream media and blogs through write-ups, photographs and videos on an almost daily basis. This provided international audience with an alternative perspective of the climate change conference while providing the youth constituency a greater reach.

Gabriel Teo was the editor of the youth segment in the Stakeholders Forum, a newsletter which, with an outreach of 30,000 readers, aims to amplify the under-represented stakeholders in COP15.

Eileen Lee and Loo Yong Ping worked with other Youth Media groups such as G-1 Billion and Project Survival Media (PSM).

Loo Yong Ping was the Asian Team Leader with PSM where prior to COP15, he coordinated Media Teams in the Fiji Islands, Indonesia and Philippines to produce short documentaries along the theme of survival and rising sea levels. In addition, he also designed the PSM trade stand for COP15, PSM logos (for Flickr, YouTube) and produced the PSM opening title sequence.

G-1 Billion is a multilingual blog, where youths report on the non-negotiations aspect of COP15: events and festivals which do not usually get coverage from mainstream media.

Project Survival Media is a global network of youth journalists reporting from the front lines of regions already facing the climate crisis, and from COP 15. It aims to amplify the voice of the underrepresented by traditional media and launching “Survival” to the forefront of the debate.

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Capacity BuildingCapacity building is defined as the “process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in the fast-changing world.”

This is the first Capacity Building Working Group to be created in COY with approximately 30 volunteers. Breaking into smaller teams they facilitated projects such as World Café sessions and side workshops which addressed issues of interest to environmentally-conscious youths. These projects facilitated delegates to network and share knowledge and experience of different green activities organized by various NGOs. Introductory seminars focused on educating interested delegates on topics such as adaptation, carbon trading and green technologies.

The ECO delegation, led by LJ and Sye Yuet, were part of the organizing team for the COP15 World Café. Connections were forged beyond geographical boundaries and the resulting ideas managed to solve otherwise nation-centric issues.

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REFLECTIONS

Most of us hoped to see nations work together towards a binding commitment. After over a decade of negotiations, we wanted to see momentum in coming to a decisive commitment on this urgent issue. Though we were disappointed with the outcome of COP15, we left feeling more empowered and hopeful. Indeed, it is with this outlook that we have embarked on our plans for the future.

Being able to witness the drama of the negotiations was exciting and eye-opening; seeing the difficulties of coming to an agreement at an international level. We saw how complicated it was to formulate consensus among negotiating parties. Frustrating as it was as a mere observer, we saw that firmness alone is not enough. Negotiations call for patience, understanding, and willingness to compromise which was sorely lacking during COP15.

One of the important lessons we have learnt, especially through our experience in the youth constituency, is that no effort is too small. It is important to have the courage and conviction to stand up for your beliefs.

When playing on an international field, it is especially important to know what we are fighting for.

However, knowledge alone does not suffice. We need to be smarter, wiser, more mature, and effectively use our skills in persuasion and creativity in order to be taken seriously. We also saw the importance of developing relationships. Building networks with others opened us up to new ideas and perspectives. Beyond learning, it also increased support and momentum in furthering the cause.

What was even more inspirational was witnessing the power of youths during the conference. We, youths, brought the gravity of the future to the present. As one unified force, youths from vulnerable, less-developed states and industrialized countries called out for strategic efforts to be taken. Together, we forged a stand that is no longer about facts and figures, but rather, about how these numbers and information have an impact on people around the world.

In essence, our experience at COP 15 has endowed us with substantive knowledge on the many issues related to climate change. More importantly, it has sharpened our sense of perspective on the conduct of global affairs and developed our ability to collaborate effectively with individuals with diverse viewpoints from all walks of life.

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ECO’s PERSPECTIVES

Global Negotiations on Emissions Reductions

In line with well-substantiated climate science, ECO is a proponent of deep emissions cuts to reach the aim of stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions below 450 parts per million (ppm) and stabilizing the increase of global temperature rises at less than 2 degrees Celsius.

ECO believes in the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” wherein the developed and developing world should be bound to differing emissions reductions targets based on factors such as their past emissions rate and their financial capacity to adapt. In relation to this, we recognize that agreement on emissions targets could not be reached without the cooperation of the developing world and the financial assistance rendered by the developed world.

We hold the opinion that the developed world can and should accept the target of reducing GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 and believe that it is absolutely essential for the developing world to be party to emissions reductions targets through a phased approach. We advocate innovative solutions through joint ventures such as the Carbon Development Mechanism, technology transfer, capacity building, while recognizing the importance of maintaining a level of autonomy for countries to decide on the best utilization of carbon pricing systems.

To achieve these ends, ECO intends to galvanise the support of government leaders from both the developed and developing world to reach a consensus through our collaborations with the global youth, promote CDM and technology transfer amongst the business community, and issue a draft statement endorsed by all youth on the youth perspective on climate change.

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Singapore and Climate Change

Despite being a small nation, Singapore is globally recognized as being one of the highest per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases in the world owing to our high-consumer lifestyles. Singapore is also ranked around 50th in the world in terms of absolute emissions.

Negative Repercussions

More crucially, Singapore will bear the brunt of the negative consequences of climate change. Climate change will have an impact not only on our environment and ecosystem, but on our livelihood and cost of living. Examples of these impacts include threats to biodiversity, a reduction in the availability of livable land, sea-level increases, heightened incidences of weather effects such as heat waves, scarcity of food imports due to decreased crop yields as well as numerous repercussions on the health of our population.

Singapore’s Potential

We believe in Singapore’s immense potential to be a leader in efforts to curb climate change. With our robust capabilities in Research & Development and innovation as well as our position as a leading trade and financial hub, Singapore has the potential to spur the development of new technologies and financial tools to help us, the region and the world at large to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Private-Public Partnerships

This could vary from championing the development of solar energy catered to tropical climates, energy efficiency and alternative energy test-bedding and the development of a regional/global emissions trading market. By promulgating policies that assist companies to develop their capabilities in these sectors, Singapore will be able to profile itself as an example of low-carbon growth while allowing Singapore companies and MNCs based in Singapore to gain significant first-mover advantage in the nascent Environmental Goods and Services (EGS) industry estimated by the World Bank to be worth US $650 billion. Through its active participation in regional and international platforms such as ASEAN, APEC, WTO, UN General Assembly, Singapore can play a lead role in galvanizing support for the development of these clean technologies and innovative financial solutions. In this respect and contrary to popular opinion, ECO believes that economic growth and profit-making is not mutually exclusive from the need to protect the environment. There are tremendous economic opportunities in addressing climate change. By aligning private sector aims for profits and market expansion with low-carbon development, sustainable resource management and emissions trading, corporations play a key role in shaping and supporting government efforts. Apart from government and private sector efforts, the public’s mindset has to be sensitized to the urgent problem of climate change in order for Singaporeans to successfully transition to sustainable lifestyles. ECO sees its role as a facilitator of change and aims to heighten public consciousness towards the urgency of climate change and the role an individual can play.

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In brief, we belief that greater government efforts can b e focused on the following areas:

1. Further reduction of carbon emission growth beyond the 16% level the Government has proposed and to peak our carbon emissions before 2020

2. To act on the above without reliance on a legally binding global deal if an agreement is not reached at the end of COP15

3. Introducing a regulatory framework and checks promoting minimum standards in reducing emissions and increasing efficiency especially in key industrial sectors

4. Assistance towards funding for green technology adaptation for all key sectors of the economy

5. Regional support especially for less developed nation in the form of technology transfer and assistance

6. Taking the lead to ensure that the needs of small island states are not overlooked by major players such as China, India and the US

7. To promote the creation of a common voice among South East Asian states so as to strengthen focus on our interests as a region during negotiations

8. Greater focus on technology research in the area of environment sustainability to better adapt Singapore against climate change

9. Raising awareness among the people, private and public sectors on the impacts and opportunities arising from climate change

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BEYOND COP15

Our role in the youth climate movement does not end after the conference. Enriched with the experience gained at COP15, we aim to establish a Singapore Youth Climate Movement to further grassroots environmental movements and climate change awareness. Forging close ties with the government, companies and community organizations, we hope to ultimately establish the youth constituency as a pivotal, credible and indispensable stakeholder in public and private sector decisions concerning climate change. We seek to enhance the imprint of youth perspectives on climate change through harnessing the energy of Singapore youth all over the globe.

Upcoming Initiatives

Education tool kit: This kit aims to inspire youths to take actions to reduce their carbon footprint and empower them to take lead in encouraging their peers to join the cause. Targeting pre-tertiary and tertiary students, we hope to encourage active participation in the green movement when students are introduced to the concept of organizing and leading programs as part of their co-curricular activities.

Asian Youth Network: Through the friendships forged with members from other parts of Asia, ECO Singapore is working on harnessing a stronger regional network. Having seen that the voices of smaller Asian nations were usually weak during COP-15, we aim to create more solidarity within this network so as to strongly articulate the Asian youth perspective. We also hope to assist and learn from one another in local programs devoted towards promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.

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BEYOND COP15

Seminars and workshops:There is a need to increase engagement of Singaporeans in the climate change issue and awareness of dedicated conferences. There is a dire lack of awareness on Singapore’s role and position at such conferences which we hope to reduce as decisions made at an international level will have impact on us. As such, workshops and seminars have been planned out through the year. Over the coming months, we have planned sharing sessions with NTUC, local tertiary institutions and corporations such as Banyan Tree. Most of the workshops planned will be announced on our official blog and ECO website to increase attendance among the general public.

An Oxford Climate Forum is also being organized by one of our team members, Hu Ching, a Singaporean currently pursuing his undergraduate studies at Oxford. With 80 student leaders selected to attend the forum, it aims to build a vibrant student leadership among those who are equipped to drive the UK to a sustainable future.

Policy development:To increase identification with environmental issues within the Singapore context, we aim to increase awareness among Singaporeans on policies and activities the government has been implementing in tackling the issue of climate change. We look forward to engage the government in this and work with them to create stronger grassroots awareness. Along with working with scientific organizations, we hope to consult on further commitments the governments and corporations can undertake.

Publicity and Outreach:Our official delegation blog saw an increase in readership during COP15 which continued even after its conclusion. We therefore see potential in using this tool to further spread the awareness of climate change and engage citizens beyond the context of the conference. Over the coming months, we aim to further improve the layout of our blog and increase connections with other online sites to increase traffic. We also seek to harness the connections build during the conferences and motivate our guest bloggers from delegations within Asia to contribute more to the site. Further to this, we are working on our next issue of ECO Express, a newsletter devoted to environmental issues, and working on collaborations with other local magazines and media.

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APPENDIX A: ECO (SINGAPORE)

Background on Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore) Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore), or ECO Singapore, is the leading non-governmental youth environmental social enterprise in Singapore promoting sustainable lifestyle.

ECO Singapore has established an active environmentally-oriented voluntary youth foundation, creating leadership opportunities for Singaporean youths, and instilling a sense of commitment and ownership in local and global environmental issues and solutions.

By providing youths a holistic approach towards environmental issues, ECO Singapore’s mission is to encourage youths to make environmentally-sustainable lifestyle choices.

Operational since the end 2005, ECO Singapore aims to challenge youth of age 17-35 to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and embrace environmental issues holistically. ECO Singapore actively drives and supports local and global environmental initiatives involving other environmental stakeholders. Besides receiving support for our activities and programmes from the National Youth Council, we also work closely with the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency, Public Utilities Board, local environmental groups and international environmental groups. Our Vision To be the leading environmental body advocating sustainable lifestyle for youth Our Mission 1. To challenge youth of age 17-35 to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and embrace environmental issues holistically*. 2. To drive local and global environmental initiatives. 3. To support environmental activities/initiatives as a resource platform involving other environmental stakeholders. *Holistic – In ECO Singapore, we categories human consumption issues into six areas. They are Food, Energy, Water, Shelter, Waste and Biodiversity. The organisation is mainly run and managed by volunteers. The volunteer pool stands at 120 and growing. The organisation does its empowering and engaging outreach through its 5 departments. Each department consists of five to six core committed volunteers that steers their respective departmental projects/initiatives.

Departments:Publication & Research;Policy Department;Marketing & Communications;International Affairs; and Volunteers Management & Development

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Apart from relying on the kind donations and sponsorships from the public and corporate, the organisation offers a range of services through its service/enterprise arm to generate income to support its current overheads.

Services/Enterprises:ECO TrainingProvides customized environmental training programmes.

ECO TravelProvides customized eco-cultural and interactive experience in Asia region.

ECO Publications Publishes “ECO-Express”, a magazine written by youth for youth. These are available both in PDF and physical hardcopy

ECO RE:Store Selling reusable, recycled and eco-friendly products that supports fair trade and cottage industry in the region.

ECO Consultancy Provides technical consultation on how to improve an organization’s environmental practices

ECO Agriculture Working with developing countries to do organic plantation as job creating to help elevate poverty. For more information, please visit www.eco-singapore.org

APPENDIX A: ECO (SINGAPORE)

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APPENDIX B: DELEGATION PROFILE

Photo ProfileWilson Ang (Team Leader)

Having seen the state of the environment in many developed and developing nations after the World Summit in 2002, Wilson believes that the only way to create a better planet for human survivability is for every individual to take responsibility of their own action by being more conscious about their daily choices in consumption habits as global citizens. He left his job as an Officer in the Air Force to start ECO Singapore in 2006 and since reached out to over 2,000 youth leaders and 310,000 members of the public both in Singapore and the region. More recently, an office in Indonesia was being setup to further the cause in the region.

He strongly believes that environment plays a very vital role in society that his life mission can simply be phrased into one sentence, “To create and maintain a sustainable lifestyle and culture”. At current, apart from bringing ECO international, he is also building several small green businesses to be able to create green jobs with the goal of creating 10,000 green jobs by the age of 35. He is also the UNFCCC Youth Constituency (YOUNGO) Primary Focal Point.

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Photo Profile

Agathe Cavicchioli

Agathe is a French student in Politics and International Relations. She has been concerned with the state of our Mother Earth from a tender age and is striving to lead a meaningful existence dedicated to the preservation of our environment. Small contributions make great changes thus one should always ponder between what is easy and what is right…

Amira Karim

Amira is a rainforest enthusiast and foreign policy geek. She hasalways been a keen advocate of the UNFCCC’s philosophy of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” She believes in seeking sensible solutions to climate change through creating common ground with the private sector, governments, youth and communities. Her aim for attending the COP 15 conference is to garner deeper insights on the UNFCCC negotiation process, to foster meaningful dialogue between youth and other stakeholders and to expand her knowledge in climate change issues.

Her dream is to carve out a career in the area of sustainable development. In her free time, Amira enjoys sailing, salsa dancing, shoestring travel and working on international development issues as a World Bank Youth Fellow.

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Photo Profile

Eleina Ailmchandani

An undergraduate student, Eleina has interest in intercultural communications, social movements and rural development. An active volunteer, she has been involved in reconstructing tsunami affected areas in Aceh and has taken active part in several overseas projects dealing with education and development.

Pumped up with the prospect of working with other youths at the Copenhagen Conference this year, she hopes to push for stronger legislation that will curb greenhouse gas emissions by bringing to the forefront the future of island nations and developing nations which will suffer the most with climate change.

Hu Ching

As a secondary school student, Hu Ching’s first introduction to climate change came from the movie – ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.

Ever since, he has grown an avid interest in global environmental issues, and was chairman of his Junior College’s Earth Club, rallying friends and schoolmates together for his green crusade.

His main interest lies in understanding and overcoming the economic and social inequalities that contribute to, and result from environmental change. Having attended regional conferences, Hu Ching believes that this delegation can be a model of leadership to the other Asian nations, bridge the gap between participatory nations of varying wealth, as well as relay key environmental messages back to fellow Singaporeans.

Hu Ching is currently reading Geography at the University of Oxford, and is organizing the inaugural Oxford Climate Forum 2010.

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Photo Profile

Leong Chia Jang (LJ)

Born in Europe, raised in Singapore, educated in Australia & USA, worked in Asia and the Middle East; Leong Chia Jang a.k.a. LJ is a Water treatment engineer who is interested in investigating global “green technologies” that improve the quality of life without adverse impact on the environment.

Eileen Lee

A love for backpacking in Southeast Asia, coupled with a keen interest in the feminization of poverty and food security, has led Eileen to realise how vulnerable the poor are to the effects of climate change. This has spurred the acquirement of relevant knowledge, resulting in much enthusiasm on the language and psychology of climate change. Being actively involved in volunteerism, Eileen wishes to spread the climate change message through grassroots activities. As a Political Science and Corporate Communications major, she will be putting her knowledge to use as a writer with the COP15 youth media team, G-1 Billion, and will be providing non-negotiations content to international media.

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Photo Profile

Lee Zhe Yu

Zhe Yu has been a passionate greenie (and humanitarian) since young. Concerned with the current ills of global (economic) development especially with regards to the massive inequity that exists in the world. Realizes that climate change is the most severe global issue affecting mankind and yearns to find solutions that will promote true sustainable development for all. Desires for a new age of multilateralism, internationalism and global citizenship to solve the many interrelated global problems ranging from biodiversity conservation to chronic poverty, overfishing, deforestation, hunger and fair trade.

Loo Yong Ping

Yong Ping’s creative journey started with the doodling in his school books, and continued throughout Mass Communication studies at Ngee Polytechnic, and extended to the running of a Campus Television Station, to the creation of his own T-shirt company, then onto becoming an Officer in the Army, to running the Nationa l Day Parade website and he is now pursuing a BA (Hons) in Graphic Media Design at the London College of Communication.

Yong Ping staunchly believes that a designer’s job is not just about making things look good, but to be the creative mind in the market place. Amongst his freelance work, personal projects and internships, he has strong beliefs in using his creative skills and knowledge to help the under represented and less fortunate.

As an Asian Team Leader for Project Survival Media, Yong Ping coordinates media teams in China, the Fiji Islands, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore in reporting from the front lines of the climate crisis. In his second year as an International Youth Delegate for the UNFCCC, Yong Ping hopes to use his creative abilities for the greater good. More about Yong Ping and his work can be found @ www.iampingpong.com

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Photo Profile

Melissa Low Yu Xing

Melissa majors in Geography and has a keen interest urban civility and sustainability. She took part in this year’s Universitas 21 Climate Change Adaptation Summer School Program held at the University of Queensland, Brisbane which involved youths from around the world engaging in climate change debate. She hopes to again work with passionate youths in Copenhagen and to achieve greater heights in climate awareness. Melissa hopes to make a difference with the support of fellow youths to push for climate action TODAY.

Ng Zhi Kai

Zhi Kai is an adventurer who challenges his limits whenever possible. Starting at the young age of 15, he has been actively involved in volunteering for the environment in and outside of school. He firmly believes that youths can be a catalyst in pushing for changes, especially in the field of environment. He hopes to use his passion and dedication to inspire more youths to step up and lead their fellow peers in environment efforts, and hence creating a more environment conscious Singapore.

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Photo Profile

Gabriel Teo

Many 18 year olds have strong aspirations and interests in a diversified range of fields. So does Gabriel. His interest revolves around reshaping his fellow friends and peers into developing an interest and personal conviction in the aspect of climate change. Through this conference, Gabriel endeavors to develop a deeper insight into the climate change policies and impact a change on governmental determination. He hopes to bring back these experiences from Copenhagen and share it amongst his friends, to enthuse them on this green movement.

Zhang Yi Tao

Yi Tao has been involved in the environment scene since he was14. He began with just encouraging those around him to recycle and do their part for the Earth. As he grew up, his passion pushed him to aspire higher and take his dedication for the environmental cause to a deeper level. Now, at the age of 18, Yi Tao has organized a series of nationwide events to spread the environmental cause to the general public. He has also initiated and chaired the inaugural World Leadership Conference on Environment and Economics in Singapore, which drew over 150 international and 70 local participants. Yi Tao hopes to bring the dreams and aspirations expressed by the youths who took part in the conference to Copenhagen, and ensure the youth voice is heard as governments around the world decide the fate of our future environment.

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Photo Profile

Loy Syeyuet

Sye Yuet loves to sip on a cuppacino, tasting the bitter-sweet aftertaste of it and fingering the edges of her holiday read while lounging in a little cafe. She has traded her holiday read for environmental textbooks, because she knows that she has to learn about change to create it.

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APPENDIX C: INTERVENTIONS

Amira Karim’s Intervention Transcript

Thank you for the floor, Madam President. I speak on behalf of the youth when I say that we value the opportunity to address the Conference on this critical day.

We have recently been made aware that some of you present in this room are proposing a fundamental overhaul of the UN process. You have proposed a new framework that will overturn the balance of obligations and responsibilities enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

You have erected barriers to exclude your peers from influencing their own futures, and in turn, have acted contrary to very principles of inclusion and equality that lies at the core of the United Nations. This imposition without discussion is tantamount to carbon colonialism—a profoundly destructive development that the youth are compelled to condemn.

Madam President, we call on all parties to respect the UN process and the values which buttress it. We posit that an agreement that creates divisions erodes the good faith that we need to address the fierce urgency of addressing climate change.

The youth urge all parties to remain accountable for their historical contributions to this global crisis. We maintain that all countries should uphold and enhance the Kyoto protocol and deliver on their promises for an adequate adaptation fund that is democratically-run and accountable to the UN treaty.

Madam President, we face an unprecedented challenge that calls for unity and responsibility. It is not enough to say “yes we can” but rather “yes we can, yes we must, yes we will.”

Thank you, Madam President.

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AWG-KP Intervention Transcript

Thank you for the floor Mr. President. On behalf of the youth, we appreciate this intervention opportunity and would first like to applaud the Kyoto Protocol as the beacon of hope for people since its inception in 1997.

The youths call for climate justice on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and hold the Annex 1 countries who failed to ratify the protocol and those who failed to meet their modest targets accountable to their pledges.

Empty words and futile promises will not resolve climate change. Thus, Mr President, youths would like to strongly urge for a legally binding treaty to hold parties accountable to their pledges. Strong enforcement mechanisms should be enacted and penalties imposed to further strengthen compliance to the protocol.

The present Flexible Mechanisms are laudable, yet youths would like to request for an increase in transparency and verifiability in the process to ensure that credits are only awarded where there are actual reductions in emissions. Youths stress the importance of co-benefits through these schemes and support the proposition for a discount factor on the carbon credits transfer in the CDM project to slant it in favor of the developing countries.

Modest numbers are equivalent to inaction, as our survival will inevitably be compromised. Youths would like to remind world leaders that our survival is non-negotiable, whatever the cost. Youths compel delegates to allow history to remember Copenhagen as Hopenhagen, where leaders at COP15 sealed the deal that guaranteed the survival of posterity.

As Edmund Burke famously proclaimed “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good man do nothing.” May all the good men and women present in COP15 rise to the challenge and allow fairness and ambition to triumph over the evils of inaction on climate change.

APPENDIX C: INTERVENTIONS

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