A recently launched “Have Your Sei” campaign launched recently by the 350 Pacific non-Government organisation is seeking to raise young people’s voices in the global debate on climate change.

The campaign centres on the recently signed Youth4Pacific Declaration, a document signed by young climate activists in the region and presented last week officially to the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, better known by its acronym COP26.

The declaration calls on world leaders to respond to climate challenges by prioritising justice and inclusion for future generations.

Members of the organisation were at the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A) Fale on Saturday urging the public to fight climate change and take part in the campaign to fight climate change.

The 350 Pacific USP Samoa President Joyce Te'o told the Samoa Observer that the purpose of the campaign was to voice their opinions and messages leading up to the UN climate summit and show world leaders that environmental destruction must stop and constructive action must start being taken. 

"Our campaign helps show our support to our 350 Aiga at COP and we’re fighting for our islands," Ms. Te'o told the Samoa Observer.

"The sei represents the beauty and resilience of pacific people and culture. I invite all the youths of Samoa to take part in signing the declaration and do take part in any activities and events that help combat climate change and save our people. 

"We need to be the strong winds pushing our leaders forward as they come up against the might of these big bullying nations."

The Youth4Pacific Declaration on Climate Change states that Pacific Youth demands that leaders of international states and COP26 to:

"Localise and contextualise their commitment to clean energy by investing in young green entrepreneurs and creating an enabling policy environment to facilitate Youth demands.

"Ensure Youth are at every national and international decision-making space, particularly ensuring that nature-based solutions and traditional practices are preserved, documented, and shared through storytelling.

"Recognise young leaders as experts in climate adaptation and make available finance to support their actions."

The Youth4Pacific Declaration also demands leaders to curb carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2030 through the urgent transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

"Weave science and traditional environmental knowledge towards designing ocean policies and initiatives across all levels. Recognize that traditional environmental knowledge is important and needs to be woven into designing ocean policies, and ocean management initiatives across all levels," the declaration reads.

"Operationalise and finance the Santiago Network on Loss & Damage, identify new loss and damage finance sources, and ensure these are distributed as grants, not loans.

"Transform the public and private financial system at the domestic level and globally by 2030 and ensure that financial flows are compatible and in line with a 1.5-degree pathway, climate-resilient development, and just recovery efforts, which require ceasing existing and future financing of fossil fuel projects and shifting away from extractive economies to regenerative economies that are recognized by Pacific cultures."