Since COP25, Malta has been sending a small delegation of youth representatives to the annual global climate summit. COP29 was no exception. Represented by the National Youth Council (KNŻ) and the Maltese United Nations Youth Delegates (UNYDs), this marks the fifth consecutive year that Maltese youth delegates were invited to represent Maltese and Gozitan young people. And, yet, after five conferences, what can we say? What is the role of COPs? What did our presence bring?
Lessons from five COPs
COP has evolved beyond being just a gathering of negotiators. It has become a much larger event where people from all corners of the world converge to address a crisis that unites us in experience but divides us in action. While not quite like the Olympics, it shares the same spirit of global gathering and the same adrenaline from racing against the clock.
The value of these conferences extends beyond their formal agenda; they allow for dialogue between parties that do not necessarily see eye to eye on everything and provide one of the few existing mechanisms for holding nation-states accountable.
On paper, no such other event exists where NGOs, journalists, scientists, innovators, diplomats, political leaders, youths and fossil fuel lobbyists can communicate, speak and share ideas. However, whether in practice this is leading us towards achieving the sole goal of the UNFCCC in stabilising atmospheric GHG concentration to levels that limit damage is anyone’s guess.
From our experience, we were all left with lingering questions of whether these conferences are delivering for Malta and the world. Do they deliver tangible results, or are they merely elaborate talking shops? Have they moved the needle on critical issues such as rising sea levels, extreme heat and water scarcity? Have they succumbed to political inertia, stagnation and incrementalism?
The COP process and the youth voice
While individually we might have left feeling doubtful, looking back all of us have managed to achieve a feat most worthy of a citizen – that of fighting for the long-term prosperity of our nation-state and its people.
Over the last couple of years, we have made the most of these conferences. Our delegation has contributed significantly to the discussions on the transition away from fossil fuels and on adaptation-related policies that are mindful of potential disproportionate effects on the poor, young, farmers and other vulnerable groups.
Some of us had the opportunity to break bread with young activists in the UAE, others were able to attend marches with scientists in Glasgow, while some youth delegates had the opportunity to ask questions to leaders such as Al Gore, Christine Lagarde and Barack Obama.
We engaged, we learned and we shared. But. most importantly, we returned to our islands with the spirit of COP. One that is mired in compromise and fully aware of the energy required to tackle a global, unorthodox problem.
Are COPs inclusive enough? Definitely not. As a framework, COP continues to limit the presence of young people in formal negotiations, significantly limiting their influence on decision-making. In the past years, the involvement of many youth delegates at COP has been confirmed quite late. During the run-up to COPs, state parties do not discuss their agenda with youth delegates and priorities are not aligned before negotiations.
Despite this, having a foot in the door, an ear in the rooms and a voice at the table we tried to ensure that Maltese and Gozitan voices are not sidelined. We ascertained that the impacts of the climate crisis are not distant future threats but lived realities, particularly for small islands like Malta. We continuously repeated that, as young people, we invest almost all our energy in building our futures. We study for a better future. We work for a better future. We hope for a better future. In the future, we have much more to lose.
The best time for climate action was yesterday and the second-best time was today
Marginally, yet steadily, our contributions are increasing, our presence more known and also more impactful. Individually, the climate crisis is too grandiose to tackle, too overwhelming, but when efforts are combined, we might be able to move mountains or, as in our experience, slightly alter climate legislation.
Will COPs lead to the change we need? Maybe. Are all the hours of work from NGOs and activists effective? Who knows. Were we drained and sleep-deprived? Most likely. Were we spoken over by patronising older people? Almost always. Did we come back frustrated? Yes. Was it all worth it and will Maltese youth attend again? Most definitely and absolutely.
Looking ahead and wishes for the future
Our hopes remain steadfast. Globally, we hope to see an increase in ambition. We wish for a shift away from empty promises and towards urgent implementation. We call for a complete phase-out of fossil fuels, guarantees for the agreed climate finance and solutions to address the systemic inequalities in climate conferences. We hope to see more youth at COPs.
Nationally, we hope that Malta wakes up and realises that even though our contributions to climate change may be somewhat insignificant, we remain on the frontlines of climate change. Rising sea levels, extreme heat and water scarcity are not distant threats – they are inevitable realities. It is no longer enough to participate passively in global negotiations or publish document after document reiterating the same points; Malta needs to lead by example.
Gone are the days when focusing solely on mitigation is an option. Malta should not only aim to reach its decarbonisation targets but also serve as proof that a vulnerable island is able to build climate resilience. This means committing tangibly to ambitious climate policies that prioritise both mitigation and adaptation. It implies aligning with international obligations while simultaneously safeguarding local ecosystems and communities.
For the young people reading this, we hope to see you rise with a renewed sense of urgency. We hope you can start becoming aware of the threats that face us should no action be taken. Education empowers and an empowered society is one that can tackle challenges. The most important thing is that we do not let apathy define us. As young people, we have so much to offer.
A call for urgency
At worst our presence at COP is forgotten and left only to us to reminisce about, at best we are able to transfer some of our insight to other youths in Malta and maybe, just maybe, motivate at least one other person to engage. The time for foot-dragging progress has passed. As the climate crisis accelerates, Malta cannot afford half-measures.
We, the youth, stand ready to contribute – not just with words but with action. Every delay compounds the challenges we face and magnifies the cost of inaction. The actions, or lack thereof, that we take today will ripple far beyond our lifetimes.
In the words of the late JFK: “If not us, who? And if not now, when?”. The best time for climate action was yesterday and the second-best time was today.
This article was co-authored by Maltese youth delegates who attended the UNFCCC’s COP conferences in the past: Nigel Caruana (COP26), Yacopo Baldacchino (COP27), David Debattista (COP28), Cara Borg Aquilina (COP29), Emma de Gabriele (COP28), Chloë Cauchi (COP27 & COP28), Chiara Vassallo (COP25) and Sandrine Borg (COP25).