Matters India Reporter
Kolkata, November 27, 2024: A student delegate from Don Bosco School Park Circus, Kolkata at COP29 held in Baku Azerbaijan last week, was declared Climate Ambassador by United Nations Agency for Development and Peace (UNADAP).
The citation presented to 14 year old student Swanik Choudhury of Class 9 reads: We commend your invaluable contribution as part of the official delegation to COP29. Your efforts have been recognised by the Secretariat, and we commend your commitment to mitigating climate change through responsible stewardship, dedicated advocacy, and alignment with the UNFCCC and UNSDG goals. Your participation exemplifies the spirit of global cooperation needed to drive impactful and sustainable change.
The citation is signed by Executive Director of UNADAP Dr Dominic F Dixon.
Swanik, a minor, who traveled with his mother Swati Chowdhury, a teacher in the same school says, “Meeting campaigners and activists from around the world reinforced my belief in the power of unity.”
Swanik invited to speak on a discussion panel regarding the contribution of different sectors to the growing environmental problems shared his role in Don Bosco’s climate committee, the “Green Movement.”
Explaining further, Swanik said, “I spoke about the extensive measures our school takes to combat climate change, from planting trees and donating clothes, to literacy programs and spreading the motto of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.
At Children and Youth pavilion of COP29, Swanik witnessed groundbreaking ideas and initiatives where the role of youth in shaping conversations showed.
COP29, is one of the most significant platforms for global climate action for collective action and collaboration for a sustainable future.
Attending fora where high-level government officials debated policies gave Swanik insight into the complexities of decision-making at a global level.