Video transcript · 5 min · 569 words

Leah Namugerwa keynote speech at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh: transcript

Ugandan climate activist Leah Namugerwa addresses delegates at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh on 7 November 2022. She describes how young people have lost their childhood to the climate crisis, shares her tree-planting project, and urges leaders to make the African COP one of real action.

Key points

Namugerwa says young people have been forced to grow up because their future and Mother Earth are under threat.
After seeing deadly landslides at age 14, she started a project planting trees on people's birthdays, with a goal of one million trees.
She questions whether it is justice when rivers and lakes are polluted and leaders choose profits over lives.
She notes COP27 has been called the African COP and says Africa contributes less than 4% of carbon emissions but suffers the most.
She asks politicians to speak and act as if there is an emergency and asks how they wish to be remembered.
She calls for an ambitious, sustainable action plan that benefits people, starting now.

Chapters

0:04Introduction and greeting to climate leaders
1:29Landslides and the Birthday Trees project
2:04Questions of justice and the rule of nature
2:40The African COP and Africa's emissions
3:12Appeal to politicians for an action COP

Full transcript

0:04We will now listen to a young lady who has adopted a cause on behalf of all of humanity and has worked to fight climate change herself. I would like to give the floor to Ms. Leah Namogirwa, a climate activist from Uganda. I greet you all who are here for a good cause. Leaders who are working tirelessly to save our dear planet, I salute you.

0:50Individuals like Lea Namguera, who are doing whatever it takes to see that life continues on our dear planets, I salute you. And those who are still denying and have not yet believed that the climate crisis is affecting us, we have stories to share. I and many young people were robbed from our future. We've been faced to grow, to act, to think like adults, because we cannot watch as our Our future is shut, our dreams put to one end, our home, Mother Earth, burning, heating in droughts, and we do nothing.

1:29When I was 14 years old, I saw lands that it's killing so many people due to harsh weather conditions. These images have disturbed me and cannot allow me to rest until something is done about the changing climate. Individually, everyone has a role to play to save our dear planet. At such a tender age, I started a project called Bathday Trees when I was standing 15 years of age. I plant trees on people's birthdays as one of the ways to fight climate change.

2:04I have a goal of planting one million trees and more. What is your goal? It is the rule of nature living for others. Because plants do not eat their own food. Rivers do not drink their own water. I don't believe it is justice to the young generation when our rivers and lakes are polluted. I don't see justice when big polities are untouchable. Is it justice for the world leaders to choose profits over lives?

2:40COP27 has been nicknamed the African COP. If COP27 is to truly deliver, we must face some real truth. Some chose that we have faced decades of inaction from our leaders. Some chose that the world is in a state of emergency because of fossil fuels. Some chose that Africa contributes less than 4% of the carbon emissions but we suffer the most. The future is at stake, mostly young children.

3:12We are not sure whether we are heard when we speak or we are just ignored. it. But let the African Corp be a different corp. Let the African Corp listen to the biggest stakeholders. Let the African Corp be an action corp. Politicians, when you stand up to talk, my generation requests to speak like there is an emergency. Speak like you are not buried. Act like you have an access on earth, because this is the only planet where we are going to carry on your legacy as your children. Men in office, how are you going to be remembered? Do you wish to be remembered as one who did a lot of nothing while in power? Fellow delegates on the conservation front, the world is looking upon us to come up with an ambitious action plan that majorly benefits people.

4:10A sustainable plan that predicts a bright future. The time to force action is right now, right here at the African COP. I believe we can do this together. Thank you.

Source and licence

Recording: File:Leah Namugerwa, COP 27 keynote speech.webm by UN-Habitat Youth (2022-11-09), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY 3.0.

The transcript is machine speech-to-text by the TidyTools Audio & video transcriber; the summary, key points and chapters were written by Claude from that transcript. Both may contain errors: check the recording before quoting it.