Farhana Shukor attended her first United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021 and found it overwhelming. The conference, known as COP26, was originally scheduled for November 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite feeling overwhelmed initially, Farhana learned to participate and engage with stakeholders over time. She felt empowered and enlightened after each conference and is now preparing to attend COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the end of this month. Farhana is the co-founder of the climate action platform Bumii.
Farhana was introduced to climate change meetings during a post-COP forum where various stakeholders shared their reflections on the conference and their roles in addressing the climate crisis. Attending the COP meetings as a young professional helped Farhana understand the complexity of climate change and the importance of interdisciplinary understanding. These experiences inspired her to co-create Bumii, a youth-led startup that facilitates climate action.
In addition to Farhana, three young people from the civil society organization Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) are also attending COP28: Lim Kai Sin, Kieran Li Nair, and Yashirdisai Sampasivam. MYD is seeking funding to ensure the representation of Malaysian youth at the conference. The estimated cost for their attendance is RM57,760, including RM3,000 each for the flight. MYD was founded in 2015 to represent Malaysia’s youth climate movement and raise awareness of climate policies among the public.
To make international and domestic climate policies accessible to Malaysians, the youth representatives have been mentored and trained to translate technical policies into relevant and relatable information for the public. During COP28, the MYD delegates will follow the negotiations, co-host side events, network with stakeholders, and provide daily updates on social media. Kieran Li Nair, the co-focal point for MYD, intends to foster meaningful relations and collaborations with regional and international youth, ensuring that Malaysian and Global South voices are heard.
The Global Stocktake, outlined under the 2015 Paris Agreement, is an instrument for countries to assess their progress in achieving climate ambitions. The results of the first Global Stocktake will conclude COP28. Lim Kai Sin, the other co-focal point of MYD, attended the 58th Bonn Climate Conference (SB58) earlier this year as part of the preparation for COP28. Lim’s primary focus in Dubai will be on green transitions and the Global Stocktake. Yashirdisai Sampasivam will be tracking discussions on carbon markets and the Global Stocktake, using COP28 as an opportunity to expand his climate knowledge and network.
The vision for Yashirdisai post-COP28 is to build bridges to a greener future, forge connections, facilitate cooperation among diverse participants, and engage in capacity-building initiatives.
