Four John Jay students were selected to serve as delegates to the Local Conference of Youth (COY), an organization that ensures young people are represented in climate policy decision-making. At the conference, Rahele Gadapaka ‘24, Sydney Kuhl ‘26, Parsva Shah ‘24 and Shania Uppal ‘25 collaborated with youth from across the country to shape climate policy proposals for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) international climate negotiations scheduled for November 11-22, 2024.
Following the conference, the four students shared their experiences at a Climate Week event featuring a presentation of the U.S. National Youth Statement, read aloud by Uppal, and a panel discussion with prominent youth advocates. The event served as a platform for sharing the key positions and priorities of U.S. youth ahead of COP29 and was hosted in partnership with LCOY USA, Fridays for Future and U.S. Climate Action Network.
Uppal, a law & society major, and other John Jay students prepared for the conference at a workshop that gathered students, activists and faculty to discuss climate justice and the role of youth in international climate negotiations. The workshop included presentations from John Jay’s award-winning United Nations Student Association and youth activists who had previously participated in COY and COP events.
"Organizing and attending LCOY was a great, one-of-a-kind experience,” said Kuhl. “I met so many amazing young people with views similar to mine about the environment and climate policy. It was inspiring and gave me hope for the future, especially regarding climate change. The key concepts we discussed were reducing emissions, adaptation and funding the future. As an organizer, I worked as a social media lead with the communications team. It allowed me to develop key skills such as graphic design and photography while also learning how to organize large-scale events. I would like to thank Professor Haglund, the Sustainability and Environmental Justice Program and the other students who attended with me. I will use the information gained forever–it was truly an experience I won’t forget."
“This conference was eye-opening, as different perspectives made me realize the strength of the establishment we are challenging,” said Shah, who also presented his research on anti-migrant rhetoric and environmental refugees at the conference. “We are up against big oil, big agriculture, big food, big pharma and so many powerful corporations. All we have is our numbers. As a result, we will never win using policies that the average person won’t support, like carbon taxes.” He advocates a centrist approach “that could unite people on the left and right, using ideas that are widely popular, such as high-speed rails. Only when we propose policies that are truly popular with the people can we win.”
"The youth are the future, and without us there would be no future,” said Uppal. “I took this belief with me to the Local Conference of Youth, where we discussed critical topics such as reducing emissions, funding the future and adapting to the climate crisis. Our youth statement was passionate and committed to creating a beautiful, inclusive future that considers the communities most impacted. I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to represent John Jay College in Arizona!"
This initiative is part of the Youth Engagement in International Climate Negotiations project, which is spearheaded by Associate Professor LaDawn Haglund from the Department of Political Science, Assistant Professor Alejandro Garcia Lozano from the Department of Anthropology and Lecturer Bibi Calderaro from the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. Click here for more information about these professors.
