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Youth Summit calls for action on climate change

By Wang Ke: 0 Comments Print E-mail China.org.cn, July 13, 2010

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University student attend the opening ceremony of the 2010 International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change at the Shanghai Expo UN Pavilion. [Wang Ke/China.org.cn]

The Youth Summit was organized by the China Youth Climate Action Network (CYCAN), Tsinghua University Student Green Association and Peking University Clean Development Club. It attracted 150 students from more than 240 Chinese, and 20 overseas, universities.

Li Li, founder of CYCAN, told China.org.cn that this year's summit would discuss the progress of international climate negotiations, and job opportunities for youth in the low-carbon era.

She said CYCAN aimed to "participate in youth leadership and skills training, linking career development with guides to action."

Fulbright scholar Andrew Stein, 23, said young people agree climate change is a global challenge, but also see it as an opportunity to build a sustainable global society.

"In the future, there will be job opportunities in the low-carbon economy that young people can take up in a very positive way, especially in China," he said.

He told China.org.cn that it is important to build awareness of environmental issues. "I just feel that young people have to do something about it."

If the world fails to halt climate change, "we are the generation who will suffer the consequences," Andrew said. "So we realize that it's our problem, and we hope policymakers will listen to our voices."

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