Climate change has become a hot topic with planet Earth getting hotter. Experts believe that a lot needs to be done to first slow down global warming and then to undo the impacts of the damage caused by humans to the environement.
While awareness is key in such a campaign, we all have to do our parts on micro and macro levels. Therefore, more and more young people are taking it upon themselves to create awareness of the severity of the issue and analyse the volume of work that needs to be done.
The first ever United Nations Youth Climate Summit is going to be held in New York on September 21 (tomorrow). As many as 500 selected young leaders, working for the cause of climate change, have been invited to the one-day-long summit to discuss the issue at length and to come up with practical solutions.
Qatar will not be unrepresented at the UN summit. Neeshad Shafi, a Doha-based Indian expatriate, will attend the event for Qatar. He is the executive director of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar and curator of Global Shapers’ Doha Hub. He has quickly established himself as a climate change advocate in Qatar raising awareness among the youth by means of organising seminars, workshops and lectures. He has invited different local and international expert speakers for the lectures called Earth Talks.
The climate advocate, highlighting the summit’s significance, said: “The UN Youth Climate Summit is a platform for young leaders who are driving climate action to showcase their solutions at the United Nations, and to meaningfully engage with decision-makers on the defining issue of our time.
“This historic event will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as part of a weekend of events leading up to the UN secretary-general’s Climate Action Summit on September 23.”
Sharing further details, Neeshad said: “The Youth Climate Summit will feature a full-day of programming that brings together young activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who are committed to combating climate change at the pace and scale needed to meet the challenge. It will be action oriented, intergenerational, and inclusive, with equal representation of young leaders from all walks of life.”
The enthusiastic young leader further said: “Over 7,000 young people between the ages of 18 to 30 applied to attend the Youth Climate Summit. I was one of 500 young people from around the world selected to attend the summit after demonstrating their commitment to addressing the climate crisis and displaying leadership in advancing solutions.”
Highlighting the youth summit, Neeshad quoted Luis Alfonso de Alba, Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit, and said: “Youth are showing us the way on climate action. I am eager for young climate leaders from all over the world to take their rightful place on the global stage and participate in this historic moment.”
“I feel proud that I was selected based on my immense work with the Global Shapers’ Doha hub and as well as for my initiative of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar. I will be able to give young people – (especially from Arab World) a voice at the gathering, where youth from across the world would converge for the issue of our existence.”
When asked to explain what he has been doing in Qatar so far, Neeshad said: “Ever since I move to Qatar some five years ago, I have been known to be an climate change activist, educator, speaker and a social change advocate for my extensive campaigns to raise the awareness about climate change and sustainable development goals both offline and online channels of communications.
“I hold a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering. Over the years, I gained extensive experience in analysing global environmental and climate politics, with a special focus on the Middle East. Further, this leads me to be a part of several global environmental youth groups and have contributed to international summits related to climate policy and youth’s role in development. Since 2015, I have been actively part of the UNFCCC climate negotiation process.”
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