Starting a Global Climate Movement for Young People with Millennial Leader Juliette Decq
By
Megan Alley
January 20, 2015
Few people can go to the UN climate change summit, so Juliette brings the UN summit to the people.
Twenty-two-year-old Juliette Decq is the founder and head of COP in MyCity, a project of CliMates. The organization is a youth-led project that aims to bridge the gap between climate negotiations and the mainstream public by fostering education and action about climate change locally and by creating an international community of change makers.
JULIETTE DECQ IS The Founder of COP in MyCity
NUMBER OF CITIES COP IN MYCITY HAS RUN THE WORLD CLIMATE **EXERCISE IN** 57
NUMBER OF TIMES COP IN MY CITY HAS RUN THE WORLD CLIMATE EXERCISE 57
NUMBER OF PEOPLE REACHED 5,000
Juliette, a Paris native, started COP in MyCity in August 2013. Juliette and her team push for young climate leaders and youth organizations across the world to invite climate negotiations in their cities by running simulations using Climate Interactive’s World Climate Exercise. They mobilize young people through concrete projects focused on the issue of climate change.
I had the chance to talk with Juliette (she Skyped from Paris) about her work…
**How does the World Climate Exercise help you in your work? **The World Climate Exercise is the tool that allowed us to embark many young people on our project. It’s easy to download and organize, and it’s available in many languages. It helps us bring our message to local authorities to say we support good climate policy.
What is unique about this tool, and why do you keep using it? The impacts the World Climate Exercise has on participants keeps me coming back to this tool. It allows a person to understand the basics and consequences of the climate agreement. It gives a global vision of the science behind it, and this link to science is very awesome, linking each of the countries represented.
What are your favorite moments running the World Climate Exercise? When we ask people to go sit on the floor — it’s the “theater” moment. Also, the sea level rise exercise.
As a World Climate Exercise facilitator, you are the teacher/instructor, but what have you learned from running the exercise?
It has improved my knowledge of the global picture and how you can reach two degrees. I understand the difference between the final differences and the links to get there. I understand the numbers. I have learned a lot.
How do you feel before hosting the World Climate Exercise? I feel excited! I look forward to seeing the kinds of arguments that people start to negotiate - the evolution round after round. Some people reveal themselves to be very skilled negotiators.
Describe your approach as a facilitator. I have to be detached as a facilitator. I help people to not give up too easily. And I find myself controlling the temptation to control everything.
What looks and emotions do you see in participants? People go through a range of emotions. They seem to find themselves balancing the gaming element and something deeper. Some moments are really serious. When people finally say their pledges, they are really proud of themselves.
Describe what it’s like to be a participant in the World Climate Exercise. Being a participant is fun! You evolve and identify and build arguments and strategies.
