Project

Youth Change the Climate in Copenhagen

Across the globe, many young adults and children worry about the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change. They fear that by the time they are middle-aged, the world will be a much warmer, stormier and more uncertain place than it is today. A new international youth climate movement is organizing a fight against climate change, leading global demonstrations and pressuring world leaders to take action. That movement came head to head with politicians in December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. There, teams of international negotiators attempted to agree on a global climate treaty. Meanwhile, thousands of youth participated in boisterous demonstrations inside the conference center and on the city streets. In Copenhagen, reporter Sara Peach followed members of the International Youth Delegation as they pressured negotiators to reach a strong climate agreement. She also talked with dozens of young people about their anxieties and hopes for Earth's future.

Indian Youth Activist Ruchi Jain Addresses Leaders in Copenhagen

Ruchi Jain, 23, was working as a marketer in Mumbai, India, when she left her job to become a full-time climate activist with the Indian Youth Climate Network and 350.org. At the United Nations climate change conference, she participated in Youth and Future Generations Day, Dec.10, 2009, a day of discussions about the impact of climate change on young people's lives. She spoke passionately before a crowd of youth and U.N. official Yvo de Boer.

Voices from Copenhagen

Pulitzer Center Student Fellow Sara Peach interviewed youth from around the world attending the COP15 conference for her reporting project "Youth Change the Climate in Copenhagen." In these videos, youth from around the world discuss the impact climate change plays on their lives.

On day 37 of her hunger strike, Australian activist Anna Keenen discusses climate justice, direct action, and the need for reflection to achieve unification.

A Conversation with Indian Youth Activist Ruchi Jain

Ruchi Jain, 23, was working as a marketer in Mumbai, India, when she left her job to become a full-time climate activist. Today she works with the Indian Youth Climate Network and 350.org, and she traveled to Copenhagen in December to participate in the climate talks.

Student Fellow Sara Peach followed Jain during the two-week conference as she rallied other youth activists and testified before UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer and found out why she gave up her marketing career and why – like many youth around the world – she now has her eyes on the United States Senate.

How Youth Fared in Copenhagen

As negotiators work into the night on a climate deal in Copenhagen, here's a look at how youth have fared at the talks.

This story was reported for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting as part of the Copenhagen News Collaborative, a cooperative project of several independent news organizations. Check out the feed here from Mother Jones.