Timely pointers: Braden (fourth from left) meeting with Nik Nazmi (fourth from right) before participating in the conference in Dubai.
ADDRESSING a roomful of people often fills many, young or old, with trepidation.
But when 11-year-old Braden Yong was given the opportunity to present his views on the world stage – similar to the opportunity given to Swedish environmental activist and Time’s 2019 Person of the Year Greta Thunberg at the age of 15 in 2018 – he seized it.
Recently, the budding environmental advocate was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to take part in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
It was the largest climate conference in history, with over 70,000 attendees, including presidents, prime ministers, environmental activists and global youth leaders from 167 countries.
As one of the environmental youth activists invited to the two-week summit, held from Nov 30 to Dec 12 last year, Braden used the platform to spotlight the floods that have afflicted Malaysian communities in recent years, while urging youths worldwide to actively play a role in tackling the climate change crisis.
Pointing to the country’s rainy seasons, he said the east coast areas often experience heavy rain and flooding.
“In 2022, a significant flood disaster caused road interruptions, houses to be submerged, students to stop attending school, and parents to stop working.
“Environmental protection should become the DNA of every young person. I call on young people worldwide to join me in the environmental protection movement, collectively managing our beautiful home and making our global village better,” he said in a recent press release.
To prepare for the conference, Braden met with Natural Resources and Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (then natural resources, environment and climate change minister) to exchange ideas and enhance the depth of his arguments, according to the press release.
Besides Braden, Hong Kong’s Danielle Lam, Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Alotaibi and Thailand’s Wachiraya Puttirodjanakun were invited to the conference through the global English learning platform “51Talk” to share their environmental views.
In addition to representing their countries at COP28, the four youths launched the “Join Me As A Little Environment Warrior’’ campaign at the event, further appealing to the public to address the threats posed by climate change.
