SAIIA YOUTH POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON COP 21

The SAIIA Youth Policy Committee (YPC) issued a statement on November 25, 2015, outlining its support for a legally binding agreement at COP21 to combat climate change and transition to low-carbon economies. The committee emphasizes the need for ambitious pre-2020 action plans, the integration of adaptation goals into the Paris agreement, and the necessity of predictable climate finance from developed countries to support developing nations.

• The YPC advocates for a legally binding agreement at COP21 and calls for an ambitious pre-2020 plan of action to bridge the gap between the end of COP21 and the start of the post-2020 binding agreement. They also suggest that climate change be integrated into school curricula to maintain commitment among young people.
• The committee argues that an adaptation goal must be part of the final Paris agreement. They propose that adaptation strategies should be inclusive of local community-based strategies and indigenous knowledge, and should include 'no regret', 'reversible (flexible)', 'safety margin', and complementary short/long term strategies.
• Regarding mitigation, the YPC supports the simultaneous implementation of adaptation and mitigation strategies using a bottom-up approach. They emphasize the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) and the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into climate policy.
• The YPC calls for increased and predictable climate finance, specifically urging developed countries—as large contributors to climate change—to fund mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. They suggest that donors should accept the risks of failure or delays due to climate uncertainty and that developing countries must demonstrate transparency in fund management.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2015). SAIIA YOUTH POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON COP 21. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SAIIA-Youth-Policy-Committee-COP21-Statement.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. SAIIA YOUTH POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON COP 21. 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SAIIA-Youth-Policy-Committee-COP21-Statement.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=SAIIA YOUTH POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON COP 21 |date=25 November 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SAIIA-Youth-Policy-Committee-COP21-Statement.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2015saiia, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{SAIIA YOUTH POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON COP 21}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SAIIA-Youth-Policy-Committee-COP21-Statement.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }