Agents of Change Copenhagen Delegation $5000 Washington, DC

The Agents of Change program, run by SustainUS, brings delegations of U.S.-based youth to conferences and summits related to international policy, primarily at the United Nations. Our delegates work with government delegates, fellow civil society members, and other youth to promote youth-friendly and future-focused policies related to sustainable development and climate change. This December, a 27-person delegation is going to the UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, also known as COP15. The group was selected through a competitive nation-wide process.

In order to increase the likelihood of success in Copenhagen, we have been involved in Climate Countdown, a domestic grassroots campaign that seeks to use the interest and press surrounding COP15 to build support for strong domestic action against climate change. We’ve met with six senators, pushed for local or student government resolutions on climate change, hosted more than 65 days of action or events, collected 500+ petition signatures, and been featured in local media articles in Hawaii, North Carolina, New York and more. Outreach efforts will continue when we return from Copenhagen, allowing us to share our experiences at the negotiations with our communities at home, thus increasing local engagement and knowledge.

We’ve also been researching the issues and developing policy position on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer, and forests/land-use, which will guide our efforts at the negotiations as we push for a bold, binding, and just climate agreement that meets the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people, not just the world’s wealthiest people. SustainUS and the Agents of Change have taken on a leadership role in the global youth climate movement, spearheading the recently approved effort to get constituency status for youth, leading workshops during the annual Conference of Youth before COP, and provides policy advice for global youth.

SustainUS is run entirely by volunteers under the age of 26 and can only provide its delegates with accreditation to attend the negotiations: all fundraising efforts to cover the cost of plane flights, hostel stay, food, and any other expenses falls to the delegates themselves. A key element of the Agent of Change program is increasing the representativeness of the negotiations and ensuring that economic status does not influence the ability of any individual to make his or her voice heard. All funds will be directly used to subsidize the costs of delegates who would otherwise not be able to attend COP15, allowing them to further their knowledge of the issue and bring that information back to their home communities around the United States. We estimate the total cost of attendance this year’s delegation to be approximately $60,000.

Costs per delegate
Airfare: $700-1000
15 nights at hostel: $585
3 meals for 15 days:$300-600
Cell phone: $50
Other expenses: $100
Total: $1735-2335

The project will be considered a success if:
1) We are able to provide all of our delegates with the level of funding they require.
2) Delegates engage in meaningful and productive discussions before, during, and after the negotiations.
3) We shift the text of the negotiations closer to our policy positions.
4) We obtain 3,000 signatures on our climate petition
5) We hold at least 30 post-negotiation presentations.