Sustainable
development has a lot to deal with Humanity’s future. In this regard, new
generations are main stakeholders in the debate on environment. As a matter of
fact, youngsters and their opinions about development are seldom directly taken
into account by governance all around the world. Hopefully things will change for
the better in the future since an international students think tank, called
CliMates, was created in 2011 to share the new generations’ view on environmental
and development issues.
CliMates started
in 2011 and its central organization committee is based in Paris with many
local committees located in every country members are from. CliMates now gathers
up about 170 students from 35 different countries in the world. Members of
CliMates have a special definition for their organization which they call a “think-and-do-tank”.
Doing and not just thinking seems to be the heart of that project since
CliMates is a network for young scientists as much a lobby with an aim to take
part in international negotiations to push solutions forwards.
With help
of a few experts
in development and environmental science like Nobel Prize Jean Jouzel and IPCC
member Rik Leemans, students from all around the world turned CliMates into a
real international organisation in less than a year. This achievement is welcome
news in the world of international politics since it gives youngsters a voice in
a debate that affects them more than any other.
CliMates
held its first international conference in October 2012. On that occasion the
think tank illustrated its originality by publishing the CliMates Call for Action. The document promotes a politically
neutral approach, an attachment to innovation and academic research along with local
actions. In a way CliMates sent a clear signal that climate change and environmental
development are not simply a theoretical argument for the new generation but major
concerns that must be address with pragmatism. Members of CliMates want those
questions to be raised and tackle and they hope to be part of it.
Some of those
members took part in the negotiations during the Rio Earth Summit in 2012.
Their CliMates Call for Action was
taken up to Doha’s summit in November 2012. Within a few years, CliMates has
become recognized as a creative force in international negotiation. Within
CliMates, students can do much by marshalling collective thoughts and using
their network. They might not make it to the IPCC yet, but they surely aim at
playing a greater part in the international debates in the future.
