Kiefer Mes, a 17-year-old student of Independence Village in the Stann Creek District, is back in Belize after participating in the 16th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY) held from the 28th to the 31st of October in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. Held before the annual UN Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties (COP), youth representatives from around the world meet to discuss climate change and how it affects young populations.
Mes shared with The San Pedro Sun that it was an enriching experience and returned with helpful information for environmental projects he expects to do in Belize. Mes said COY16 met his expectations, and he networked with different organizations and youth from other countries while attending this important event. Mes shared his experience and how, in Belize, people like him are doing what they can to mitigate climate change. Participants shared what is being done in their respective countries and shared how different strategies could work in other countries.
The young Belizean has been active in Independence, from organizing clean-up campaigns to engaging in mangrove conservation. He now looks forward to applying everything he learned at the conference at home. Mes hopes to continue inspiring the young and old to protect the environment and become a soldier in the battle against climate change.
COY16 is dubbed as the most significant and longest-running youth event so far, gathering thousands of young changemakers from more than 140 countries. The ideas discussed at the forum will be considered the official youth position in the UN climate negotiations currently taking place at the 26th COP, which ends on November 12th. Both events this year are considered the most important in history as it seeks to establish a path to reduce emissions and reverse global warming.
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