The National Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association of China selected a voluntary worker to join the World YMCA delegation to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in Dubai.
Liu Xinyan, a volunteer from Chengdu YMCA in Sichuan, was chosen as the sole delegate to the conference held from November 30 to December 12, attended by about 97,000 people, such as representatives from contracting parties, business leaders, climate scientists, indigenous people, youth, experts in media, and stakeholders, said YMCA China.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) is an annual summit aimed at reaching agreements to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C and reach net-zero emissions by 2050 to tackle the climate crisis.
Liu stated, "Attending COP28 allowed me to see how the United Nations, as a global governance body, corrects short-sighted and profit-driven thinking by providing a platform to aggregate interests." She added, "As youth, our awareness of protecting the natural environment and empathy is gradually increasing, and our voices are growing louder."
Liu was trained before her departure to voice the opinions of Chinese youth.
Before the conference, the World Alliance of YMCAs conducted six online training sessions, introducing YMCA 2030 visions, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its related resolutions, an overview of the COP28 meeting, travel arrangements, and precautions. Through workshops, youth representatives learned to share their hometown's experiences and stories of climate change adaptation.
Diverse thematic areas were set up at the venue. For example, the "China Corner" hosted discussions and presentations by central and local government officials and representatives from universities, research institutions, and civil organizations on climate-related topics. The sessions, such as "Using Bamboo Instead of Plastic: Dealing with Plastic Pollution" and "Civil Action Contributes to Climate Solutions," proposed combining Chinese traditional culture and philosophical thoughts with climate change adaptation. Additionally, exhibits showcasing Chinese cultural features like tea art and calligraphy attracted delegates from varied countries.
Liu, the volunteer, believed this journey was life-changing, expressing gratitude to YMCA China for providing such an opportunity. "As a representative of the organization, I strive to expand its influence and share the story of China. Within the team, I customized luggage tags and presented 'Chinese specialties' such as essential balm and panda-shaped candies to foreign friends, each receiving much appreciation. During in-depth conversations, they shared their backgrounds and local stories; Li told many experiences and stories about the Chinese government, YMCA China, and other grassroots organizations in climate governance and environmental management, highlighting the charming aspects of Chinese traditional culture."
At the conference, Li presented YMCA China's propositions and contributions to youth empowerment and sustainable development, expressing her commitment to continuing involvement in YMCA activities as a volunteer.
During the conference, delegates could participate in three types of activities: negotiations, side events, and media conferences. As the core of COP28, negotiations involve formal discussions and consultation among contracting party representatives to reach agreements and resolutions regarding global climate change and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, promoting climate action worldwide.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
中华基督教青年会全国协会选派同工随世界青年会代表团参加在迪拜召开的第二十八届联合国气候变化大会。
据中国基督教青年会，中国唯一的青年会刘新颜义工参加11月30日至12月12日举行的大会。约有9.7万名缔约方代表、商界领袖、青年、气候科学家、原住民、媒体以及其他各类专家和利益相关方参加本次会议。
联合国气候变化大会（COP）是一年一度的联合国气候变化峰会，COP28旨在通过商定将气温升幅限制在 1.5°C 以内以及到 2050 年实现净零排放的方法来应对气候危机。
刘说：“亲临COP28让我看到了联合国作为全球治理机构是如何矫正短视和利益至上的思维陷阱，通过提供平台将利益聚合”；
“而青年作为未来社会的主要参与者，保护自然环境和同情共理的意识在逐渐增强，声量也在不断增大，”她补充道。
全国协会专门组织行前培训刘新颜义工，以发出中国青年的声音。
启程之前，世协为青年代表们进行了六次线上培训，介绍了YMCA2030愿景、联合国气候变化公约框架及其相关机构、COP28会议概况、行程安排与注意事项，并通过工作坊让青年代表们学会讲述家乡在气候变化应对中的经验和故事。
会场各处设有“主题角”。例如：中国角每天有气候问题相关领域的中央与地方政府官员、高校与研究机构、民间组织代表进行各类议题的讨论和发布，例如：在《以竹代塑·应对塑料污染》和《民间行动贡献气候解决方案》两场分享会中，提出中国传统文化和哲学思想与气候变化应对相结合。此外还有茶艺、书法等充满中国文化特色的展示，吸引各国代表前来参观。
刘义工认为这次的旅程是life-changing，因此很感谢中国青年会给她提供这样的平台。"作为中国YMCA的代表，我努力投身于扩大组织影响力，讲好中国故事。在团队里，我将定制行李牌、“中国特产”风油精和熊猫糖果送给外国友人，每一件都收获满满的喜爱。我们在深度交谈中讲述各自的成长背景和当地故事，我分享了许多中国政府、中国YMCA等民间团体在气候治理和环境治理中的经验和故事，也不忘将有魅力的中国传统文化风俗挂在嘴边。"
会场中，她讲述了YMCA在青年赋能与可持续发展议程中的主张与贡献。她表示，未来也将继续以义工身份参与YMCA的各项活动。
会议上，代表们可以选择三类活动来参加：协商（negotiations），边会（side-events）和媒体发布会（media conferences）。协商是COP28中最核心的部分，是各缔约方代表之间的正式讨论和谈判，旨在达成有关全球气候变化和减缓温室气体排放的协议和决议，以促进全球范围内的气候行动。
中国青年会代表参加第二十八届联合国气候变化大会
The National Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association of China selected a voluntary worker to join the World YMCA delegation to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in Dubai.
Liu Xinyan, a volunteer from Chengdu YMCA in Sichuan, was chosen as the sole delegate to the conference held from November 30 to December 12, attended by about 97,000 people, such as representatives from contracting parties, business leaders, climate scientists, indigenous people, youth, experts in media, and stakeholders, said YMCA China.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) is an annual summit aimed at reaching agreements to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C and reach net-zero emissions by 2050 to tackle the climate crisis.
Liu stated, "Attending COP28 allowed me to see how the United Nations, as a global governance body, corrects short-sighted and profit-driven thinking by providing a platform to aggregate interests." She added, "As youth, our awareness of protecting the natural environment and empathy is gradually increasing, and our voices are growing louder."
Liu was trained before her departure to voice the opinions of Chinese youth.
Before the conference, the World Alliance of YMCAs conducted six online training sessions, introducing YMCA 2030 visions, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its related resolutions, an overview of the COP28 meeting, travel arrangements, and precautions. Through workshops, youth representatives learned to share their hometown's experiences and stories of climate change adaptation.
Diverse thematic areas were set up at the venue. For example, the "China Corner" hosted discussions and presentations by central and local government officials and representatives from universities, research institutions, and civil organizations on climate-related topics. The sessions, such as "Using Bamboo Instead of Plastic: Dealing with Plastic Pollution" and "Civil Action Contributes to Climate Solutions," proposed combining Chinese traditional culture and philosophical thoughts with climate change adaptation. Additionally, exhibits showcasing Chinese cultural features like tea art and calligraphy attracted delegates from varied countries.
Liu, the volunteer, believed this journey was life-changing, expressing gratitude to YMCA China for providing such an opportunity. "As a representative of the organization, I strive to expand its influence and share the story of China. Within the team, I customized luggage tags and presented 'Chinese specialties' such as essential balm and panda-shaped candies to foreign friends, each receiving much appreciation. During in-depth conversations, they shared their backgrounds and local stories; Li told many experiences and stories about the Chinese government, YMCA China, and other grassroots organizations in climate governance and environmental management, highlighting the charming aspects of Chinese traditional culture."
At the conference, Li presented YMCA China's propositions and contributions to youth empowerment and sustainable development, expressing her commitment to continuing involvement in YMCA activities as a volunteer.
During the conference, delegates could participate in three types of activities: negotiations, side events, and media conferences. As the core of COP28, negotiations involve formal discussions and consultation among contracting party representatives to reach agreements and resolutions regarding global climate change and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, promoting climate action worldwide.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
YMCA China Representative Attends COP28 in Dubai
