Shawlands schoolboy Graeme, 14, joins global climate change debate

Nov 12 2009 Lauren Crooks

Graeme McGhee

A SCHOOLBOY has won the chance to represent Scotland's youth at a Copenhagen climate change debate.

Graeme McGhee, 14, was picked from 140 contestants who answered UNICEF UK's Big Climate Call Out with YouTube.

The tough selection process saw him submit filmed testimonies, write essays and undergo interviews in London before making the final cut.

He will now join four other British youngsters and 155 young people from countries all over the world to discuss the impacts of the issue in Denmark's capital.

The teenager, from Shawlands, will have the chance to voice his concerns and influence how world leaders go about tackling the problems ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) summit in December.

The group will present a paper outlining their suggestions to leaders at the conference.

And the youngster - also a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament - believes his generation deserve to have input on a decision that will affect him and his peers.

He said: "It is youngsters who are facing the impact of climate change. It might not be immediate but it will definitely be in the next few years and we must act now.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity UNICEF has given me. And I am looking forward to representing Britain's youth to the world leaders."

Graeme has been preparing himself by interviewing other teens about their views, and also finding out the Scottish Parliament's stance. He said: "I have interviewed John Swinney and the team have also been trying to meet with Gordon Brown ahead of the conference to hear what Britain plansto do."

Some of the four-strong British group's ideas includesuggesting that developed countries do more to help developingcountries, and action on deforestation. Lucy Stone, UNICEF UK ClimateChange Project Manager, added: "It is vital that the voices of childrenand young people are heard at this meeting.

"It is their right as it is the children andyoung people who will inherit the deal at Copenhagen and have valuableideas and energy to shape a more secure, cleaner future. We hope to see history in the making."

The UNFCCC takes place from 7-11 December, and Graeme and the other youth panellists will spend a week there from 28 November.

And as part of their YouthConnect programme, Dell have committed to donating 160 laptops to the Forum - one for each child - so the young attendees can engage online with other children around the world who want to have their voices heard on climate change.