29. November

I arrived in Mexico late Saturday evening to participate in the climate negotiations. Not so long ago I did not think that this would happen. Last year, after participating in the negotiations in Copenhagen, I was really depressed about the result of the negotiations, like so many others. I had lost my belief in UNFCCCs power to act and the private sectors readiness and willingness to provide innovative solutions to the climate change. But one could say that I lost my religion, but found my faith. I found new faith in the youth! In Copenhagen you could see them everywhere (I say them, because in Copenhagen I didn’t participate as a youth delegate, but solely represented my job at the Nordic Council of Ministers). The youth was very engaged and knowledgeable and a positive force in the middle of the nightmare that Copenhagen became. The global youth’s willingness to take responsibility and act is something totally different than you would think that the general atmosphere of the public is when you follow the negotiators, who are not ready to compromise when it comes to so called national interests. But the negotiators fail to see the big picture and realize that the global interest is in everyone’s national interest! Luckily the youth will be in Cancun to remind them of this fact, again!

26. November 2010

Thousands of negotiators, NGOs, business representatives and heads of states from all around the world will meet in Cancun, Mexico, for the climate negotiations, COP16, starting next week. British Council will provide for 15 climate champions to participate in Cancun. I will be the only one from Europe. Now I need to know what message do you, as the youth of Europe, want me to take to Mexico?!

I will be blogging from Cancun, so follow this page!

My name is Maria and I’m one of the 17 climate advocates of 2010-2011 from Finland. I’m 27 years old and work part time for the Nordic Council of Ministers. I’ve studied environmental economics at the University of Helsinki, with social psychology as my minor subject.

I’ve done my internship for the Ministry of the Environment of Finland. I am writing my master’s thesis on CDM, one of the flexible mechanisms about emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol, for a private consulting company, specialized in emissions trading. Last summer I was involved in a start up that will bring clean technology to East-Africa, in order to empower the local community and fight climate change and deforestation.

My first presentation in primary school was about rainforests. I didn't realize until upper secondary school that not everyone cares about the environment as much as I do! I love skiing and will do everything in my power to keep the winters of Finland snow covered!

More info about the youth climate movement:

http://youthclimate.org/

You can find more info about the Finnish projects and advocates here:

http://www.britishcouncil.fi/projects/climate.htm 

COP16