Ready to work together

As Cumberland Lodge discussions typically operate under the Chatham House Rule, the contributions of individual participants have not been directly attributed. There are two exceptions, however: the key messages of guest presenters who opened each interactive discussion session; and some of the quotes from young people, gathered through a post-conference survey, for which permissions have been sought separately. The recommendations that follow have been further shaped by a consultation convened online in June 2021, involving conference representatives and further young people and specialists in the field. Participants in this smaller event were tasked with reviewing and refining our draft report. The resulting statement of priorities reflects both young people’s perspectives on climate futures and their demands for action that needs to start now. While online conferences offer a very different experience to an in-person event at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park, participants were actively engaged in the four sessions hosted on Zoom. The conference culminated with a clear call to action from young people, for the international delegations and other key climate stakeholders involved in the upcoming UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) summits.

During this project, it became abundantly clear that young people are anxious, frustrated and tired of waiting for governments and politicians to act, and they are also engaged and ready to work in partnership with leaders from all sectors, to shape a better future. As we begin to see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ with the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerge to face the climate emergency head-on, we urge you to take these recommendations seriously, and to take personal and collective responsibility for ensuring they are fully reflected in actions and commitments leading up to COP26, and beyond.