05, December 2019 -Three young students from the Cayman Islands will
be attending the 2019 United Nations
Climate Change Conference COP25, taking place on December 2-13 in
Madrid, Spain. The students will be part of an International National
Trust Organization (INTO) delegation that will draw attention to the
importance of heritage conservation when
meeting the challenge of a changing climate.

The National Trust for the Cayman
Islands lobbied INTO asking that youth from island nations that
are set to suffer some of the worst effects of climate change
be included in the conference and INTO agreed, donating three passes
for young representatives from the Cayman Islands. The students
attending will be Steff McDermot (UCCI), Connor Childs (CIS), and
Olivia Zimmer (University of Tampa), all of whom
have been actively involved in local environmental activism.

To be as well-informed as possible
regarding the Cayman Islands current position on climate change, the
students met with CUC regarding the National Energy Policy, GreenTech
about renewable energy, and DoE on the existing, but currently
unimplemented, climate change policy. The students are eager to
connect with other young people from around the world (perhaps even
Greta Thunberg) and bring home their new-found knowledge to help the
Cayman Islands prepare for the inevitable effects of climate change.

Olivia says, "I am incredibly
fortunate to be able to represent the Cayman Islands at the United
Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid. It is my goal to
approach the conference with an open and optimistic mind in order to
return home with knowledge and ideas that will allow Cayman to
continue to grow in a cleaner and more sustainable way, subsequently
contributing to the well-being of the world as a whole."

"I'm so excited to attend this
conference and feel honoured to be chosen,”
Connor comments. “I'm looking forward to learning what other
countries around the world are doing to prepare for the effects of
climate change so that I can bring that knowledge home to help Cayman
prepare for future challenges."

The United Nations Climate Change
Conferences are yearly summits held by the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where countries from around
the world meet to coordinate a response to climate change. Beginning
in the mid-1990s, major agreements have been negotiated at these
gatherings including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. This
year, crucial climate action work will be undertaken in areas that
include finance, forests, agriculture, technology, loss and damage,
indigenous peoples, cities, and oceans. A key objective of COP25 is
to raise overall ambition with respect to the Paris Agreement as many
countries are not meeting their targets for emission reduction.

As the global climate emergency
intensifies and carbon emissions continue to grow, governments have
been urged to move forward quickly to stabilize greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will slow dangerous
human impact on the climate system, in a time frame which allows
ecosystems to adapt and promotes sustainable development. Patricia
Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change said: “If we
stay on our current trajectory, it’s estimated that global
temperatures could more than double by the end of this century. This
will have enormous negative consequences for humanity and threaten
our existence on this planet. We need an immediate and urgent change
in trajectory."

United Nations climate change
conferences have grown over the past two decades and are now among
the largest international meetings in the world. Participants include
officials from governments all over the world, at all levels, as well
as large numbers of representatives from civil society, NGOs, and the
global news media. It's a great honour for our students to be
included in the INTO delegation to this United Nations conference.
Several local businesses and individuals have stepped forward to
sponsor the costs for the students including CUC, The Flowers Group,
the Lodge, and CIS teachers. Additionally, the Luijten family will
donate a large area of mangroves through Island Offsets to be
protected in perpetuity with the National Trust as compensation for
the emissions associated with the travel.

If you'd like to help with sponsorship,
email protectourfuturecayman@gmail.com.

MEDIA
CONTACT

Catherine
Childs, Education Manager

(345)
749-1129

education@nationaltrust.org.ky

About
the National Trust for the Cayman Islands

The National Trust for the Cayman
Islands is a non-governmental organisation whose mandate under the
National Trust Law (2010 Revision) includes the preservation of the
historic, natural and maritime heritage of the Cayman Islands for
present and future generations.

About the National Trust’s
Environmental Programme

The National Trust for the Cayman
Islands’ environmental programme was founded on the concept that
the protection of native plants and animals is best achieved by
protecting the natural areas in which they depend.

About
the National Trust Education Programme

The
National Trust for the Cayman Islands’ education programme empowers
people of all ages to preserve Cayman’s natural and built heritage
through public awareness and by creating opportunities for hands-on
learning. Its initiatives help shape the way towards a better
understanding and increased appreciation for Cayman’s unique
biodiversity, built heritage and sustainability.