Youth must safeguard our planet against climate change -TGRP Convenor

International Youth Day 2023 is under the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World.” This year’s edition is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of green skills among young people, both on a global scale and within individual nations.

The key objective of International Youth Day 2023 is to elevate consciousness regarding the significance of green skills in accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a special emphasis on the pivotal role young individuals play in advancing the global transition towards environmentally sustainable practices.

In observance of this occasion, Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa, the Founder and Convener of The Green Republic Project, has urged young people to harness their skills and abilities in the battle against the looming threat of climate change and global warming, which perilously endanger their own future.

Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa in a statement to commemorate the day called on the global youth community to promptly step onto the frontlines of the fight against climate change and global warming through proactive climate action.

He said the recent surge in catastrophic events worldwide – including rampant wildfires, devastating floods, and record-breaking heatwaves, with July 2023 marking the hottest month ever documented in human history underscore the urgent need for an emergency response to the climate crisis.

“I have consistently maintained that the climate crisis represents a profound struggle between humanity and nature, one that necessitates restorative justice,” he said.

The Green Republic Project convener appealed to young people to come to grips with the extreme climatic conditions confronting our world today, urging them to take decisive action in restoring hope.

“If every young person on Earth commits to planting just one tree each year and diligently cares for them, collectively, we would create a sprawling global canopy over time.” With the youth scattered across every corner of the globe, such collective efforts hold immense potential.

Furthermore, Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa called on world leaders and policymakers to recognize the critical significance of involving young minds and their creative energies in the fight against the climate crisis.

“Tomorrow commences today, and thus, we must act today to shape the tomorrow we all aspire to – a future marked by a flourishing, healthy planet and its diverse inhabitants. Let us aspire to establish a harmonious and peaceful relationship between humanity and nature, unwaveringly, and always,” he said.