Speak Up for children on climate change, minister told
UNICEF UK | 27.11.2012 11:10
A group of young UNICEF UK campaigners met with government minister Edward Davey last night and asked him to speak up for children at the UN climate change talks in Doha next week.
The thirteen young people aged between 11 and 18 from two South London schools met the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in parliament for a brief Q&A. They used the opportunity to highlight the fact that globally children are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and they asked Mr Davey to ensure that the UK government commits its fair share of new money to the Green Climate Fund. The young people also handed in petition of over 8,000 signatures and supporter messages, as a culmination of UNICEF UK’s ‘Speak up for Children campaign’.
Stella Rousham, aged 12 from Chestnut Grove Academy said:
“I think that the Green Climate Fund is a really good idea and that Ed Davey should definitely support it. I was very excited when Chestnut Grove got chosen to go to parliament and was very eager to go.”
Zoe Nicolaas-Parker, aged 15 from Chestnut Grove Academy said,
“If our children are our future and climate change is our doing, then it is our responsibility to fix it. Don’t future generations deserve a childhood, a life? We owe it to them. The more we do to stop climate change, the more lives we will save.”
Perla Bronzi, a 19 year-old student from Bethnal Green and a UNICEF UK Children’s Champion, said today:
“Climate change is happening and serious measures must be taken now to combat its effects. Despite the fact that they are not responsible for causing climate change, children are most vulnerable to its effects such as floods and droughts. They therefore need to be prioritised and we hope that Mr Davey will do his utmost to ensure that the needs of the world’s children are not forgotten in Doha.”
Edward Davey MP, said:
"I also want to see progress at Doha on achieving the global deal that all countries agreed to work towards in Durban last year. For the first time all countries agreed to sign up to a legally-binding deal to be adopted by 2015, and at Doha we need to agree a plan for these crucial negotiations." (see note 5)
NOTES:
1. The young people are from Croydon College and Chestnut Grove Academy, Wandsworth.
2. The UN Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties – COP18) takes place in Qatar from 26 November to 7 December.
3. The Green Climate Fund is an international fund established to raise $100 billion from developed countries by 2020 to both help the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change and move towards a less carbon-intensive economy.
4. In a letter in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph UNICEF UK’s president, executive director and three vice presidents have called on the Government to “ensure that the fund is operational in 2013, pay its fair share to the fund and use the Doha talks to push other countries to pledge contributions.”
5. For the full statement made by Edward Davey ahead of the climate change negotiations visit the DECC website at
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/edd_cop18st/edd_cop18st.aspx
CONTACT: UNICEF UK press office on 020 7375 6077
For more details about UNICEF UK’s Speak Up campaign visit www.unicef.org.uk/speakup
About UNICEF
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child realise their full potential. Together with our partners, UNICEF delivers health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need, while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and corporations, and is not funded by the UN budget. For more information, please visit www.unicef.org.uk.
The thirteen young people aged between 11 and 18 from two South London schools met the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in parliament for a brief Q&A. They used the opportunity to highlight the fact that globally children are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and they asked Mr Davey to ensure that the UK government commits its fair share of new money to the Green Climate Fund. The young people also handed in petition of over 8,000 signatures and supporter messages, as a culmination of UNICEF UK’s ‘Speak up for Children campaign’.
Stella Rousham, aged 12 from Chestnut Grove Academy said:
“I think that the Green Climate Fund is a really good idea and that Ed Davey should definitely support it. I was very excited when Chestnut Grove got chosen to go to parliament and was very eager to go.”
Zoe Nicolaas-Parker, aged 15 from Chestnut Grove Academy said,
“If our children are our future and climate change is our doing, then it is our responsibility to fix it. Don’t future generations deserve a childhood, a life? We owe it to them. The more we do to stop climate change, the more lives we will save.”
Perla Bronzi, a 19 year-old student from Bethnal Green and a UNICEF UK Children’s Champion, said today:
“Climate change is happening and serious measures must be taken now to combat its effects. Despite the fact that they are not responsible for causing climate change, children are most vulnerable to its effects such as floods and droughts. They therefore need to be prioritised and we hope that Mr Davey will do his utmost to ensure that the needs of the world’s children are not forgotten in Doha.”
Edward Davey MP, said:
"I also want to see progress at Doha on achieving the global deal that all countries agreed to work towards in Durban last year. For the first time all countries agreed to sign up to a legally-binding deal to be adopted by 2015, and at Doha we need to agree a plan for these crucial negotiations." (see note 5)
NOTES:
1. The young people are from Croydon College and Chestnut Grove Academy, Wandsworth.
2. The UN Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties – COP18) takes place in Qatar from 26 November to 7 December.
3. The Green Climate Fund is an international fund established to raise $100 billion from developed countries by 2020 to both help the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change and move towards a less carbon-intensive economy.
4. In a letter in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph UNICEF UK’s president, executive director and three vice presidents have called on the Government to “ensure that the fund is operational in 2013, pay its fair share to the fund and use the Doha talks to push other countries to pledge contributions.”
5. For the full statement made by Edward Davey ahead of the climate change negotiations visit the DECC website at
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/edd_cop18st/edd_cop18st.aspx CONTACT: UNICEF UK press office on 020 7375 6077
For more details about UNICEF UK’s Speak Up campaign visit www.unicef.org.uk/speakup
About UNICEF
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child realise their full potential. Together with our partners, UNICEF delivers health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need, while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and corporations, and is not funded by the UN budget. For more information, please visit www.unicef.org.uk.
UNICEF UK
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