Last Friday (29th October) MSYPs took part in The Moment, which saw elected representatives join children and young people from across the country to discuss the climate emergency. Today, Erin Campbell MSYP and Wiktoria Orlicka MSYP teamed up with Members of the Children’s Parliament (MCPs) for the Globe Legislators’ Summit at the Scottish Parliament to share outcomes of The Moment with political leaders from across the world to highlight the voices and expectations of young people.
Coinciding with COP26 in Glasgow, the Legislators Summit will highlight the unique role that legislators have across the world in tackling the climate emergency. You can find more details about the Summit by clicking here.
Wiktoria and Erin joined MCPs on stage and discussed the importance where they discussed the unique role children and young people can play in tackling the climate crisis. Erin said:
“Over recent years, children and young people across Scotland and around the world have been calling on local and national decision-makers to prove that they are urgently giving priority to tackling climate change. COP26 offers an enormous opportunity for local and national decision-makers to show that they have listened to the concerns of children and young people, and to commit to taking action locally, nationally, and internationally“
Wiktoria continued by calling on the decision-makers in the room to engage directly with children and young people and act on their calls for climate action, Wiktoria said:
“Children and young people have shared their calls to action across Scotland, and it’s now up to our elected representatives to take action. The Moment may have happened on one day, but this is just the beginning – we hope that our elected representatives make the effort to engage with us regularly as we know that children and young people want to be part of the conversations and the solutions. This isn’t just us here in Scotland – this is all over the world. It’s up to all adults, to listen, take us seriously, and act.”
The Moment
To help Erin and Wiktoria understand the views of young people prior to the Summit and to give young people the opportunity to meet directly with elected representatives in their area SYP worked with Globe, the Children’s Parliament and the Scottish Parliament to support The Moment. SYP facilitated young people’s meetings with elected representatives across Scotland for The Moment as well as creating a pack that schools and young people used to set up their own climate surgeries. MSYPs shared SYP’s priorities for COP26 as well as their own views on the climate crisis and you can see quotes on what some MSYPs wanted to highlight to decision-makers.
