Climate Change

The Copenhagen 4 are four young people from the UK who responded to the Big Climate Callout, a competition run by UNICEF UK in 2009 to select a team to attend the Copenhagen Children's Forum. They have since become young climate ambassadors for UNICEF UK and have gone on to encourage other young people in their areas to take action on climate change. Download the Copenhagen Declaration, written by the young people at the Copenhagen Children's Forum.

Read on to find out more about the team members, and you can also visit the Tagd blog to read about what they've been up to.

Cressie, 15, from near Gloucester

Place of birth: Lincolnshire- I am a 'yellow belly', as they say.

School: Stroud High School

Reason for applying to the Big Climate Callout:
I am passionate about putting a halt to global warming because for me it is as much of a moral issue as an ecological one. Those who contribute the least often have to bear the greatest blow to their liberty and livelihoods. International relations and politics fascinate me, as they are the basic infrastructure of society and determine our future. Politics is the only way to make change a reality.

Role models:
Cherie Blair, Christabel Pankhurst, Wangari Maathai and Princess Diana. All of these women have risen up in the face of adversity, reached out and lit a flame of incandescent hope in the hearts of many. I strive on a daily basis to follow in their inspirational footsteps.

Likes:
Quality time with friends and family, lie-ins, Ben and Jerry's ice cream ( who doesn't…?), shoes, reading the paper and laughter- it's the greatest tonic!

Dislikes:
Spiders, snakes and rats.

Hobbies:
Rowing, riding, running and you will always find me designing or pinning a dress on my mannequin when I'm not frantically busy. I love organising events for charity - it's so brilliant to do something fun which benefits others, it is the ultimate feel-good factor.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
I hope to have my own successful fashion line, combining effortless chic with green, ethical living. I would love to read Law at Oxbridge and go to the 'Bar' and become a Barrister. I want to do all I can to give people brighter, greener futures and show how sustainable living is sexy, modern and imperative if we are to sustain life on Earth as: ‘It is we who are threatened, not the planet’- Wangari Maathai

What are you looking forward to most at the Copenhagen Children's Summit ?
Meeting with everyone from other cultures and backgrounds at the Summit, debating and discussing and having a greater appreciation for International politics and its critical importance.

What do you hope to achieve from participating in the Copenhagen Children's Summit?
I want to engage my peers in current affairs and give them a focus, as our future is the planet. I want to dramatically raise the profile of Copenhagen and allow other people to be involved and informed.

Graeme, 14, from Glasgow

Place of birth: Glasgow

School: Hillpark Secondary School

Reason for applying to the Big Climate Callout:
To make sure young people's views are heard and listened to and to act upon climate change. Also I applied to play my part in protecting our planet and creating a better world for us all to live in.

Role models:
Barack Obama, Steven Hawking, Nelson Mandela and Billy Connolly.

Likes:
Comedy shows (both stand-up and panel shows), video games, hanging out with my friends, basketball, politics and shopping.

Dislikes:
Slang, my morning alarm clock, extremely spicy food and ice skating.

Hobbies:
Hanging out with my friends, playing video games, going shopping, playing badminton, racing and watching TV.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
Graduating from university with a degree in politics and/or law and standing as a member for the Scottish parliament or working to become a successful lawyer or even a secondary school teacher.

What are you looking forward to most at the Copenhagen Children's Summit?
I am looking forward to meeting other young people from all over the world who are passionate about climate change and to hopefully make new friends as well. The experience will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and it will be one I will never forget for as long as I live.
I hope to take knowledge away from the Forum about other countries' cultures, way of life and how climate change affects the lives of the people that live in them.
The journey to Copenhagen will be long and tiring but I know it will be worth it.

What do you hope to achieve from participating in the Copenhagen Children's Summit?
I hope that our ideas, as the representatives of the young people of the world, are made known to the world leaders and that we are taken seriously as a generation.
I also hope that at the forum we will be able to come up with a plan of action that everyone can agree to. No matter how difficult it may be I think it is possible if we all work together to reach a compromise that will hopefully make a difference for our world and for the future.
At a personal level I hope to gain experience from the Forum and to gain a greater understanding of more of the world's cultures and the way climate change affects them.
Most of all I hope to enjoy myself, I hope something is in fact accomplished and acted upon and I hope all of the other representatives and chaperones will enjoy themselves too.

Katie, 17, from Worcester

Place of birth: Derby

School: Royal Grammar School

What was the best thing about Copenhagen?
I most enjoyed the 'market place', where every delegation had a stall where they could share information about their country, how climate change is affecting their country, and what they are doing to act on climate change. I found some of their personal stories very moving and hard-hitting - hearing how young people my age are already suffering from the effects of climate change.
 
How are you continuing your engagement with issues related to climate change after Copenhagen?
I was nominated as one of the Links for the Climate Ambassador Programme (CAP), and am responsible for updating UNICEF with the activities and issues arising from CAP. Whilst it has proven to be quite a lot of responsibility, I have really enjoyed being in regular contact with fellow Climate Ambassadors and taking a leading part in the future of the CAP.

Role models:
My role model is Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop and a leading campaigner on environmental issues. She was the first to introduce socially and environmentally responsible businesses onto the High Street, and an inspiration to so many women, including me.

Likes:
Train journeys, cups of tea and being surrounded by people I love.

Dislikes:
Intolerance, soap operas and superficiality.

Hobbies:
Surfing, skiing and snowboarding

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
In 10 years' time, I want to have travelled the world, experiencing a country's true culture rather than its tourist attractions. I would like to have found a fulfilling job that stays true to my ideals.

Luke, 17, from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Place of birth: Brunssum, Holland

School: Newcastle Royal Grammar School

Reason for applying to the Big Climate Callout:
It looked like a pretty cool competition, it’s an issue I care deeply about, and an opportunity to go to one of the most important global conferences so far this century was too good to miss!

Role models:
Marcus du Sautoy and Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Likes:
Watching good films, lasagne and smart electricity transmission grids.

Dislikes:
Watching bad films, fish and 4x4s.

Hobbies:
Sailing, walking, debating, reading and sleeping.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
In 10 years' time I see myself working hard as a poorly-paid Physics researcher, and loving it all. Hopefully I'll also be starting to think about having a family…

What are you looking forward to most at the Copenhagen Children's Summit?
Discussing and engaging with issues with young people to whom these issues mean more than they do to me, and hearing about their experiences of climate change. I think that it will be very interesting mixing with people from very different cultures but who are on the same level as us, and working to overcome language and cultural barriers, which will be necessary for fruitful discussion.

What do you hope to achieve from participating in the Copenhagen Children's Summit?
I hope to gain a greater awareness of the very real way in which climate change affects people around the world. It would also be fantastic if this event encouraged me to pursue a career in the fight against climate change.