During the Amazon Summit last August in the Brazilian city of Belem, Hivos and our partners from the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) coalition met with Razan al Mubarak, one of the two current United Nations High Level Climate Champions.
We discussed the role of the Amazon in maintaining a livable global climate and the importance of (Indigenous) communities in protecting the rainforest. We stressed how Indigenous Peoples and other groups, such a women, people of color and youth, are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Below you can read the letter that the Brazilian Voices for Just Climate Action coalition wrote to the UN High Level Climate Champion, following the meeting. It contains key messages for three important topics at COP28: adaptation, loss and damage, and financing.
“We are the Brazilian youth actively engaged in addressing the climate crisis and advocating for the inclusion of youth in decision-making spaces, particularly those from peripheral, Indigenous, quilombola, riverside, Black, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized communities. Our goal is to ensure a sustainable present and future for the upcoming generations by preserving the environment and seeking solutions that incorporate our voices and demands into the decision-making processes.”
“Our plea is for inclusion and active participation in these dialogue and construction spaces. Brazilian youth are engaged, ready to collaborate, and contribute to viable and sustainable solutions. Our future depends on collective commitment and immediate action to combat the climate crisis. We hope, as Brazilian youth, for actors and representatives committed to building a fairer present/future that includes our perspectives.”
