On the first day of the Climate Summit, institutional representatives of youth organisations and climate change specialists agreed to "not give in to a catastrophic vision" in the face of a scenario that demands action by "people of all ages, countries and walks of life."
Spain’s acting Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, has said that, "the young should demand accountability, but they must also take part in the changes needed for a better planet. In Madrid we must listen to everyone, to know what we expect from this summit and the commitment needed to achieve climate objectives.”
These more ambitious commitments for 2020--the so-called nationally determined commitments (NDCs) " will be determined more and more by young people, like in Chile, which has already included that in its update via environmental education and public participation," says Adriana Valenzuela, the UNFCCC focal point for education and youth.
Alejandro Quecedo, youth president of SEO/Birdlife, says that intergenerational justice, "is part of the solution: it is politically and morally necessary for a sustainable future." In the global fight against climate change it is the young who play a role in what he calls, "Unprecedented change. They must mobilise to stop uncontrolled warming, be part of all the debates and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals."