SINGAPORE – Just days before the start of the United Nations COP28 climate conference in Dubai, heavy rain and thunderstorms flooded parts of the desert city for the first time.
Coming on the back of a series of extreme weather events that have surfaced in 2023 – from heatwaves in Brazil to flash floods in Libya – the realities of climate change have never been more apparent. Countries have a long list of items that need to be hammered out from Nov 30 to Dec 12, with a crucial goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 deg C.
At least 35 young people from Singapore will be attending the conference, 20 of whom are part of the Government’s inaugural climate youth development programme to groom and empower sustainability champions.
The Straits Times speaks to four of the youth heading to the event, and finds out what they care about.