WFEO and its Committee on Young Engineers / Future Leaders organized the HLPF 2021 side event “Deploying Global Youth Capacity in UN Policy and Engineering for SDG 13” on Friday, 09 July 2021, as a side event of the 2021 edition of the High-level Political Forum
The crises of climate breakdown are the most serious issues of our time. Our major infrastructure systems of transport, energy, water, waste, telecommunications and flood defenses play a major part, accounting for a vast portion of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions whilst also having a significant impact on our natural habitats.
WFEO continues to raise awareness of the climate emergency and the urgent need for action amongst WFEO National Member Engineering Organizations and WFEO Partners, all stakeholders within the National Members and with Governments.
The event aimed for an engineering community where a diverse and inclusive membership can work collaboratively towards innovative climate mitigation strategies, engaging women and young engineers in particular to combat climate change.
Opening:
- Gong Ke: WFEO President
- Shamila Nair-Bedouelle: Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO
Presentations:
- Firas Bou Diab: Chair, WFEO Young Engineers / Future Leaders Committee – YEFL Global Initiatives and Activities – Working Group on SDG13
- Nisreen Elsaim: UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisor on Climate Change (YAG) – Relevant initiatives in infrastructure and STEM skills for SDG 13
- Manon Frezouls: Focal Point for the Youth UNESCO Climate Action Network (YoU-CAN) – Engaging young engineers in the development of the Youth UNESCO Climate Action Network (YoU-CAN)
- Videos – Winners of the WFEO Young Engineers / Future Leaders Video Campaign at World Engineering Day 2021
- Sara Nyberg: Country Representative Lead for Young Leaders in Energy and Sustainability (YES Europe) and former international coordinator of PUSH Sweden – Youth engagement in technology in the UNFCCC and in the energy-climate nexus
- Emma Van Fossen: Product Engineer at Trane Technologies – The Role of Industry in Pursuing Climate Action
- Milda Pladaite: Member, WFEO Young Engineers / Future Leaders Committee – YEFL Global Initiatives and Activities – Working Group on SDG13 (continued)
Conclusions and Recommendations
- José Vieira: WFEO President Elect
The recording is available by clicking on the below image.
For more information:
Joint Statement by Side-event Organizers
Side event presentation on HLPF website
WFEO Committee on Young Engineers / Future Leaders website
United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth website
WFEO Committee on Engineering and the Environment Climate stories
Shamila Nair-Bedouelle holds a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Capetown in South Africa. She pursued her research career at the Institut Pasteur in Paris then within the pharmaceutical industry at the MIT University Park in Boston, USA. She has pursued her research interests in parallel to her career at the United Nations.
Shamila Nair-Bedouelle is the Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO.
Nisreen Elsaim is an environmental and climate activist, started activism in 2012, with a Bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Khartoum, Sudan. She pursued her master’s degree in renewable energy from the same University.
General coordinator for Youth and Environment – Sudan (YES) platform to give all environment working youth the networking they need.
Manon Frezouls is a consultant at UNESCO, where she coordinates the Youth UNESCO Climate Action Network (YoU-CAN) project both with the Natural Sciences and the Social and Human Sciences Sectors.
As part of the Youth Programme since 2019, and as a member of the UNESCO Climate Change Task Force, she works, through the implementation of the YoU-CAN project, on developing meaningful engagement and leadership of youth in climate projects and activities undertaken in UNESCO’s areas of competence.
Sara Nyberg is a consultant at the company South Pole with greenhouse gas accounting. She graduated in environmental and energy engineering. She has participated at the UN climate conferences since 2017 through her organisation PUSH Sweden, and is active in YOUNGO, the platform that works with the UN Major Group for Children and Youth to coordinate youth climate action.
She is the Country Representative Lead for YES Europe (Young Leaders in Energy and Sustainability).
Emma Van Fossen is an engineer in the Accelerated Development Program at Trane Technologies and has led decarbonization projects to reduce both external and internal greenhouse gas emissions through new technology and renewable energy investments.
She holds a mechanical engineering degree from California State University, Fresno.
Milda Pladaite
Milda Pladaite is a civil engineers and Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) representative to the WFEO Young Engineers / Future Leaders Committee.
She is a member of WFEO Action Group on COP 26 where she set-up a working group on SDG 13 to include the global young engineers community to the WFEO climate emergency work.
JUL
2021