Author: kirsty

An International Environmental Court, of course!

See the below details for a lecture that will describe how an International Environmental Court should be created, and what the purpose of it will be:

The United Nations Association Westminster Branch, Clifford Chance LLP and the International Relations Committee, the Bar Council

invite you to the

8^th Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen International Law Lecture

Monday, 8 March 2010 at 6.30pm

The case for an International Court for the Environment

Stephen Hockman QC

Stephen Hockman QC is proposing a body similar to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to be the supreme legal authority on issues regarding the environment. The court, to be led by retired judges, climate change experts and public figures, would also fine countries or companies that fail to protect endangered species or degrade the natural environment and enforce the “right to a healthy environment”. As well as providing resolution between states, the court will also be useful for multinational businesses in ensuring environmental laws are kept to in every country. The unclear outcome to the recent Copenhagen conference on Climate Change demands continued public pressure on governments to commit to agreement and thereby to answerability. We welcome you to listen to this visionary yet practical proposal and to join in the subsequent debate. Stephen Hockman, a former Chairman of the Bar, is Head of Chambers at 6 Pump Court which focuses on regulatory, environmental and health and safety law. He is a member of the Secretary of State for Defence’s Advisory Group on the Environment and an immediate past Chairman of the Environmental Law Foundation, and a trustee of ClientEarth. The lecture is being held in association with the International Relations Committee, the Bar Council and the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS.

The Lecture Theatre, Brunei Gallery Building, School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, WC1

Attending barristers will be accredited with 1.5 hours CPD

www.unawestminster.org.uk

Please register me:

and my guests(s)

Please register for this free event by 3 March to

[email protected]or mail to UNA Westminster, 61 Sedlescombe Road, London SW6 1RE

Posted by Kirsty Schneeberger

Today the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change opened a Consultation on how young people can be involved in the department’s decision making process! This is super-duper exciting and it means All Hands on DECC to fill out this 4 minute survey.  And remember – try and fill it out as soon as you read this because you only have until 26 January.

Ever since I have been involved with UKYCC, this has been one of the most important issues to me. At every event I have been to – if I have been lucky enough to ask a question – they have pretty much been: ‘how is DECC going to engage more with young people, and let them be involved in decision-making; Or – will DECC include a young person in the official UK Delegation; Or- would DECC consider having a youth advisor/panel who can present youth perspectives to the Department.’ At most of the events Ed Miliband, has agreed to these ideas, but only informally.

So I was really excited when someone from the Department called to tell me that after all the great questions we have been asking at events like the Miliband LSE lecture, The Wave, and Youth Question Time (thanks to all of you for asking those questions too!) there is going to be a consultation on how to involve young people in the DECC decision making process!

So… Ta-daaaa:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xG5zkLxchLkDydYPc/RZpIZk77wNuRU6km1ot%2biNZ6U%3d

If you are a young person who cares about being involved in the decisions that affect your future, then please do take 4 minutes of your time to fill out the survey. Please also do publicise it through your other networks and put it up on your websites so that we can have hundreds and thousands of young people replying to this!  If you are involved with UKYCC, please also remember to affiliate yourself with UKYCC on the survey so we can show how many young people in UKYCC are engaged and care about this issue!

For what it’s worth, here are some thoughts on the main points – this isn’t the definitive answer, but just some ideas to help you think about what a ‘youth panel’ (or something similar) would look like in practice:

• Meeting as frequently as is useful with DECC in a range of forums; big conventions, as well as smaller meetings
• Big conventions should give young people a chance to present heir opinions, ideas and proposals to DECC;
• Strong online resources for all young people to utilise easily; especially those people who are in regions far out from London (like Northern Ireland and Scotland!) and for the outcomes of these surveys to be fed into DECC policy – such as a really swish DECC+Youth website and regular surveys to gather perspectives of Youth
• having a review of the ‘youth panel’  in 6 months – one year; to ensure that it is fulfilling it objective of including young people in the decision-making processes

In addition to these points, it might be nice to mention the following thoughts in the ‘any other comments’ box:

• A young person on the official UK delegation to UNFCCC negotiations, especially Bonn in June and future COPs
• A committee/Ministry that will concentrate its research and work on very long term strategies; such as by thinking ahead to 2050 and 2100 and ‘looking back’ to the see what policies needed to be in place in order to make it to the cleaner, brighter, low carbon world of the future

These are just some thoughts, and I’m sure you all have your own… So what are you waiting for?

It’s All Hands on DECC to show your leaders what you want YOUR future to look like!