Scottish Young Climate Leaders to Attend COP26 Negotiations
Sixteen young leaders from 2050 Climate Group, Scotland’s youth-led climate charity, will attend COP26 to observe the negotiations.
The UN Climate Summit expects to host 30,000 delegates from 196 countries, including World Leaders to discuss global action on climate change - which has recently been coined a “code red for humanity” by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Attendance of the 2050 Climate Group delegation will ensure the voices of young people, who will be burdened with the most severe consequences of the climate crisis, are included within the decision-making process. 2050 Climate Group has worked hard to provide this opportunity to young people living and working in Scotland, and will also support efforts to welcome young climate activists from around the world to participate in the negotiations.
2050 Climate Group are also holding an event in the COP26 Green Zone on Friday 5 November during ‘Youth and Public Empowerment’ Day. The event is open to the public and will discuss visions of tomorrow in Scotland and Malawi, stories of climate action and young people’s key asks for COP26. Màiri McAllan, Scotland’s Minister for Environment and Land Reform will join the panel to discuss the importance of supporting collaborations between Scottish and Malawian Young Leaders.
2050 Climate Group is excited to demonstrate the power of youth on the international stage and to lead the way towards a just and sustainable society. All of the action will be captured on 2050 Climate Group’s social media channels for a behind the scenes view of the largest and most anticipated climate conference in the world.
“I am extremely excited to represent 2050 Climate Group at COP26 in Glasgow as a blue zone delegate. I hope to use the accreditation to amplify the importance of youth in climate negotiations, while advocating for climate justice. Our continuous engagement with the Malawi Leaders Programme is a good example of how two youth-driven initiatives can empower and equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to take climate action. Now it’s time for the world leaders to follow this example set by Scotland and Malawi and steer the world to achieve a just and sustainable future for all.”
- Jakub Vrba, 2050 Climate Group Trustee
The young people who will attend COP26 as accredited delegates are:
Laura Brankin - After being an active volunteer with 2050 Climate Group since 2017, Laura now sits as Vice-chair of the Board of Trustees. Laura is a Senior Sustainability Consultant at AECOM, with experience supporting clients to develop strategies and solutions towards net-zero and to integrate climate change into strategic thinking and the assessment of business risks and opportunities. She also co-ordinates the AECOM convened Scottish Infrastructure Circular Economy Forum (SICEF), an opportunity for major infrastructure providers in Scotland to collaborate and share best practice to drive the circular economy.
Kate Chambers - Kate, who now sits on our Board of Trustees has been an active volunteer with 2050 Climate Group since 2017. Over the past few years, she has been an integral part of the operational team delivering 2050 Climate Group’s flagship Young Leaders Development Programme. In her day job, Kate is a Senior Consultant at Resource Futures, with experience working on projects related to circular economy, reuse and recycling, marine litter. plastics, and behaviour change.
Jakub Vrba - Jakub, who has been a member of the Leaders Network since 2017, now supports 2050 Climate Group as a trustee focussed on International Engagement. Jakub is a renewable energy consultant specialising in innovative technologies, including energy storage and floating offshore wind. Previously he worked for the Scottish Government’s Energy and Climate Change team to support community energy projects on the Scottish islands. Jakub holds an MSc in Sustainable Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Caitlin MacMillan - Caitlin joined 2050 Climate Group as a Trustee in 2021, with her approach being informed by previous experience working in human rights research, education, and international development. In her day job, Caitlin is a solicitor specialising in procurement law, working with a wide range of clients in both the public and private sectors.
Chloe Campbell - Chloe joined 2050 Climate Group in 2021 and has since taken a leading role in the planning and delivery of our Youth Climate Summit ‘Let’s Talk COP26’. Chloe works as part of the Project Delivery Team at Energy Saving Trust, an independent organisation working to address the climate crisis through decarbonised and decentralised energy systems. With a joint degree in Politics and Sociology from the University of Glasgow, she is passionate about climate ethics and inclusive climate action.
Kirsty Mitchell - Kirsty has been involved with 2050 Climate Group since 2019 when she completed the Young Leaders Development Programme. Soon after, she joined the charity as an operational volunteer, forming part of the team responsible for delivering the flagship programme in 2021. Prior to her involvement, she participated in sustainability-related volunteer projects in Latin America and New Zealand, and studied Law and French at the University of Edinburgh. Kirsty is now a lawyer based in the energy and climate change group at law firm CMS.
Ruth McKelvie - Ruth works as an engineer at ScottishPower Renewables. She completed the Young Leaders Development Programme in 2018 and then joined as YLDP operational volunteer. Ruth enjoys volunteering with this group of enthusiastic people and having the opportunity to do something completely different from her day job.
Rachael Martin - Rachael manages My Climate Path, a COP26 education legacy project for young people in Scotland, led by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Glasgow. My Climate Path links business with young people to inform and inspire them on the roles and skills required for the jobs of the future in a green and circular economy. Rachael is Co-Chair of the YLDP subgroup, delivering 2050 Climate Group's flagship Climate Group’s Young Leaders Development Programme (YLDP) for the past 5 years. She was part of the pilot YLDP in 2015-2016.
Emma Yule - Emma is co-chair of the Leaders Network at 2050 Climate Group. She is completing a PhD in environmental and atmospheric sciences at Edinburgh University focused on extreme events and climate risk. She also works as a tutor on the Carbon Management Masters. Prior to this she has worked as a consultant and data analyst in the private and third sector. At Edinburgh University she is co-creator of the SDG Research Network which brings people together to share knowledge about how we can create a fair and just future for all.
Sofia Koukoura - Sofia works as an engineer and data scientist at ScottishPower Renewables. She has a PhD on wind turbine technology and collaborates closely with academia through her position as a visiting scholar at the University of Strathclyde. Sofia has a keen interest in interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches to tackling climate crisis. She hopes that by 2050 there will be more trees and stronger communities!
Scott Crawford Morrison - Scott works in the UK classical music sector, where he is an experienced project manager and fundraiser. He is currently Senior Development Manager at Sage Gateshead, the music venue and charity in the North East of England, where he leads on their Environmental Responsibility work. Scott is a member of the Green Arts Initiative Steering Group, co-founder of the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group, and co-author of the award winning Scottish Classical Music Green Guide. He is especially interested in the role the arts can play in a just transition towards net-zero, and a proud graduate of 2050 Climate Group's Young Leaders Development Programme.
Jane Morrison - Jane is a biologist who grew up in (and lives in) the Highlands of Scotland, she currently works in environmental protection and is a Trustee at Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) Scotland. Previously, she has held a number of roles in the environment sector, with a particular focus on conservation, ecological research, environmental management, climate change and public engagement/empowerment. She was one of the founding members of 2050 Climate Group and is on the Common Vision advisory panel on eco-anxiety and young people. She also took part in the Young Women Lead programme forming the first all-female parliamentary committee made up of women under 30 in Scotland. In 2017 she was selected to attend the UN Human Rights Youth Council in Geneva where she contributed youth perspectives to environmental justice policy development. In 2018 she was recognised as one of "30 under 30 inspiring women in Scotland" from the Young Women’s Movement for her work. She is passionate about protecting nature and helping create a fairer, more equal society.
Kirstin McEwan - Kirstin is an environmental communications professional who has worked with a number of different public sector bodies in digital marketing and online outreach of topics such as nature conservation, natural capital, recycling and circular economy. She will also be supporting COP26 as a Green Zone Team Leader and is a programme mentor with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s From Linear to Circular course on circular economy. Kirstin first joined the 2050 Climate Group through the YLDP 2018/19 and has continued to support the group as part of the 2050 Leaders Network.
Sophie Eastwood - Sophie is 2050 Climate Group’s Operations Director and worked alongside the original group of young volunteers’ to form the charity 4 years’ ago. She has an MSc in Environmental Management and was part of the Climate Generation Programme run by the British Council and Global Action Plan. She is a Churchill Fellow 2018 and until recently was a trustee for the Ecology Centre. Her particular interests are climate change impacts on biodiversity.
Mhairi Tordoff - As Operations Co-ordinator at 2050 Climate Group Mhairi focuses on supporting our phenomenal volunteer team to deliver our wide-range of climate action projects. She joined 2050 Climate Group after completing her MSc Climate Change, Development and Policy at the University of Sussex. Here she developed a particular interest in Just Transition issues and community-owned renewable energy projects.
Filo Tuivanualevu - Filo is originally from Fiji, in the South Pacific is 2050 Climate Group’s International Projects Co-ordinator specialising in participation, power and social change. She has worked in the areas of development, gender equality, youth and young women’s leadership in Fiji and the Pacific. Filo’s areas of interest include, exploring the challenges of power relations, participation and young people’s engagement in development and civic processes. Filo is attending COP26 with the aim of amplifying the voices of our partner project ‘Malawi Climate Leaders’ who were unable to attend the UN Climate Summit in-person.
The wide-range of knowledge and expertise in 2050 Climate Group’s delegation, spanning international development, science & innovation and arts and culture, reflects the diversity of our 550+ strong network of Young Leaders across Scotland.
The UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) is scheduled to take place in Glasgow on 31st October - 12 November 2021.
You can keep up to date with 2050 Climate Group activities on social media and COP26 webpage.
In-person tickets for our Green Zone Event ‘Visions of Tomorrow for a Sustainable Future in Scotland and Malawi’ on Friday 5th November (14:00-15:00 GMT) have now SOLD OUT. However, you can join the event virtually via the COP26 YouTube Channel.