Published ahead of COP17, new international research by children’s rights organization KidsRights, has found that more than six in ten 13–29-year-olds across the globe say they are more worried now about biodiversity loss than they were three years ago. Among those 18 years or older, one in two young people say biodiversity loss is already affecting their lives and influencing major life choices, including whether to have children.
The State of Youth Global Preferendum, coordinated by independent research agency Glocalities, is one of the largest international studies of young people and biodiversity. The research includes seven nationally representative panels, surveying 2,189 young people aged 13 to 29 in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Germany, Kenya and the United States. Alongside this, a separate open survey was completed by 10,527 self-selected young people across 77 countries, bringing total participation to 12,716.
COP17 in Armenia (19 – 30 October) aims to advance international biodiversity commitments, including the first Global Review of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. But as government ministers, heads of state and environmental experts gather in the capital Yerevan, young people from around the world have sent a stark warning to those attending the summit.
