Nico's Natural World

UN Child Ambassador for the SDGs

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  • Futures 2026: Young Writers and Artists Leading the Way for Sustainability

    In a world where climate change and sustainability concerns define the challenges of our time, the youth are no longer asking for permission to speak. They are writing their own futures. Futures 2026, published by the Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative, brings together thirty award-winning short stories from young writers spanning six continents, offering a compelling vision of sustainable futures through the eyes of the next generation. Alongside this collection, young people ages 8–18 from around the world submitted short articles, photos, and artwork.

    Published annually, Futures is now in its second edition. The breadth of this year’s stories is striking: the thirty pieces touch on clean water and sanitation, affordable energy, climate action, life below water and on land, gender equality, quality education, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities, and peace and justice. What gives the collection its force is the way these global challenges appear not as policy abstractions but as lived realities experienced by young protagonists in India, Myanmar, Canada, the UAE, Argentina, Nigeria, Romania, and beyond.

    Stories That Show the Way

    Environmental Stewardship

    The dominant thread running through Futures 2026 is environmental stewardship. Most stories centre on a specific threatened landscape and on the young protagonist who fights to protect it. In “Zayar and the Thirsty Machine” by Myat Pan Khit (Myanmar), seventeen-year-old Zayar lives in a 2050 Yangon where fresh water arrives three times a week and the Ayeyarwady River has dried up—drained by the cooling demands of AI data centres. After discovering what the river once was, Zayar and his friends salvage parts from a tech graveyard to build a solar-assisted condensation unit that pulls moisture from the air and returns it to the earth.

    In “The Last Monsoon Dancer” by Saanvi Rao (UAE), fourteen-year-old Sriya performs a traditional dance not to summon rain but to confront her community with what they have done to the land, pouring a single cup of clean water onto cracked earth and whispering, “To the last drop, because we waited too long.” Her protest goes viral, sparking conversations about water, climate, and courage.

    In “The Last Mango Tree” by Aditi Haribabu (UAE), fifteen-year-old Tara wages a campaign to save the last mango tree in her rapidly industrialising village. Her “Roots of Tomorrow Campaign” gathers stories of environmental loss from across India and the UAE. A year later, her village passes a “Heritage Green Zones” law and the tree is declared a protected eco site.

    In “The Last Mangrove Guardian” by Aleena Sara Jesson (UAE), fourteen-year-old Maha exposes toxic sludge poisoning her village’s mangrove forest using drone footage and water samples, launching the #GuardOurGreenLungs campaign that reaches national media and prompts a government task force.

    In “Guardian of Sea” by Ananya Manikandan (UAE), twelve-year-old Carlos rescues a penguin chick from an oil spill on a Patagonian beach and founds Los Guardianes del Mar, a cross-border marine conservation network. In every case, environmental action grows from love for a particular place rather than abstract principle.

    Indigenous Identity and Cultural Survival

    A powerful cluster of stories, predominantly by Canadian authors, explores Indigenous identity and cultural survival. In “The New Moon” by Lissie Usuituayuk (Canada), Inuit teenager Tayen navigates displacement from Salluit to Montreal and finds belonging through an Indigenous youth programme and a community garden that links cultural survival to environmental care.

    In “Discovering My Roots” by Maddy Mcardle (Canada), an adopted Cayuga girl reconnects with her nation through ceremony, beading, and an elder’s patient teaching—a story that confronts the legacy of the Sixties Scoop. These stories treat cultural identity as something that must be actively recovered, with a mature awareness of the historical forces that created the disconnection.

    Technology and Its Costs

    Several stories grapple with technology and its costs. “Between the Circuit and the Soul” by Virat Desai (UAE) frames the dilemma as an essay: the narrator is fascinated by technology and afraid of it in equal measure. “The Girl Who Grew a Forest” by Naomi Kene (Canada), set in the year 3002, follows a teenager who steals an extinct seed and descends to Earth to plant it among people who have chosen soil over simulation. In every case, the antidote is a return to something physical.

    Gender and Justice

    Gender and justice surface throughout the collection. In “The Last Monsoon Dancer,” Sriya defies a culture that silences girls to perform a protest dance that goes viral, forcing her village to confront what it has done to the land. In “Where Justice Wears Heels” by Afroz Idariya (India), Ann takes her school’s systematic discrimination against girls to court and wins. The protagonists who save the tree, the mangrove, and the river are overwhelmingly girls dismissed before they were heard.

    Small Beginnings and Intergenerational Wisdom

    Binding everything together is a conviction about small beginnings and intergenerational wisdom. The young protagonists draw on grandmothers, elders, and inherited stories even as they act in urgently modern ways: launching social media campaigns, building condensation units from salvaged tech, founding floating libraries. The book does not promise that everything will be fine. It promises that the attempt matters, and that one refusal to stay silent can multiply into something larger.

    Why Futures 2026 Matters

    As UN Special Rapporteur Prof. Astrid Puentes Riañó writes in the anthology’s preface, these young authors “do what law and policy sometimes struggle to do: they make visible the human meaning of environmental harm and environmental protection.” The stories “speak of loss and resilience, of injustice and care, of fear and courage.”

    Judge Prof. Marcel Szabó emphasizes that the anthology proves “even the smallest voices, when raised with courage, can shift the tide of governance and accountability.” Each child’s perspective adds an essential piece to the global conversation.

    Join the Movement

    The young authors of Futures 2026 show that storytelling is both a creative expression and a tool for change. As one story brilliantly summarizes: “Cool people don’t deserve a warm planet.”

    Through stories, artwork, articles and photos, young people are helping shape the global conversation on sustainability. Now it is your turn. Your words, images and ideas can spark change and influence discussions at the highest levels of global climate policy. The future is being written now. Make sure your voice is part of it.

    Read and share Futures 2026, and consider ordering copies for friends, schools and libraries. In doing so, you will help celebrate these young voices and encourage even more young people to write, create and speak up.

    For more information, visit VoFG and GYC. Download the free PDF here, order a copy here, and revisit last year’s edition here. The call for Futures 2027 is expected in May, stay tuned!

  • Now Open! Call for Stories and Artwork for Futures Anthology 2027

    Do you know any creative, articulate youth from ages 8-20 worldwide who might be interested in submitting their creative and inspiring 3-5 page stories to be selected, edited and published?

    Would you like to help them win awards and have their work published internationally?

    Would like to empower young people to engage with global sustainability, justice, and the future that we want?

    If so, the Center for International Sustainable Development Law is encouraging you to share the following opportunity with young people who want to make a difference in building a sustainable future. 

    The Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative (VoFG), in partnership with the Global Youth Council on Science, Law and Sustainability, is seeking stories by youth about the future they want, inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. 

    At this time, young people ages 8-20 and their families or friends, from around the world, are invited to submit short stories (3-5 pages) about fictional characters from their region of the world and any SDGs of interest, along with a 50-word biography, in order to be considered for awards and publication.

    The stories should creatively and imaginatively communicate a message about global sustainability, justice and the future we want. Stories with characters and settings that share children’s culture and unique environment or local realities will be preferred. Importantly, the stories should be about the kind of future that young people would like to see (this can include, of course, stories about dystopian futures they don’t want, and how to avoid it).

    The top stories will be chosen to feature in the Anthology, with the young writers winning Platinum, Gold or Silver Awards for their work.

    Original artwork submissions will also be accepted. The Gold-winning artwork will be chosen as the cover for the Anthology.

    This book will be published internationally, raising the voices of future generations and spreading our messages for a fair and sustainable tomorrow among peers and global networks, worldwide. 

    An International Commission of leading experts and agencies, together with youth leaders from around the world including VoFG alumni, will select the winning entries.

    Eligibility:

    (1) Youth ages 8-20 

    (2) Open to all countries or communities

    Guidelines for story submissions:

    (1) Format: entries should be 3-5 pages single-spaced, size 12

    (2) Submissions must include a 50-word biography of the author written in third person (she/he/they). Please refer to the following example from Futures 2026.

    (3) Stories should be written with sustainability and our future in mind

    (4) Language: Stories must be submitted in English or accompanied by an English translation if written in another language.

    (5) Teachers involving one or more class groups in the contest should limit submissions to 10 entries.

    Guidelines for artwork submissions:

    (1) Artwork must be the original work of the contestant. 

    (2) Accepted artwork includes: paintings, drawings, collages and/or digital illustrations

    (3) File formats accepted: jpeg, png & jpg

    (4) Photos or scans of physical artwork must be clear and evenly lit. Blurry, too dark, too bright, or otherwise hard to appreciate artwork will not be considered. 

    (5) Ensure no copyrighted materials are used in the artwork

    (6) Artwork suspected to be produced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not be considered.

    (7) Contestants can participate in both the story and artwork contests.

    How to Apply:

    Please submit your entries via our online forms. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.

    Deadline: June 15, 2026

    Submit a Story

    Submit Artwork

    Criteria for Awards:

    The stories will be judged for:

    (1) Originality

    (2) Creative thinking

    (3) Link to key messages from the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

    (4) Specific focus on achieving one to three of the most crucial UN Sustainable Development Goals that address the most important problems and solutions special to the young writer’s culture, community or country.

    To get a sense of the kind of stories we are looking for, please read previous editions here: Futures 2025 & Futures 2026

    If you have any questions about the contest, please contact GYC Vice Chair and Futures editor Nico Roman at nico.roman@vofg.org, cc’ harmony.online.journal@gmail.com;  ela.martinez@vofg.org

  • 1,000km Challenge for our Global Youth Council

    Hey! 👋 This August I’m kayaking 100km down the River Nene to raise funds for youth-led sustainability and nature protection 🌿🌍

    It’s part of a 1,000km Challenge for our Global Youth Council — and all donations go to support youth education, empowerment and conservation science charities.

    If you can, I’d really appreciate your support! 🙏

    Here’s the link: https://www.justgiving.com/cro…/nico-cordoniergehring-1…

    Thanks so much! 💚

    – Nico

  • Futures 2025: Youth Stories on Climate and Sustainability

    The much-anticipated anthology Futures 2025: A Compilation of Short Stories from Young Authors from Around the World is now available, offering a unique and powerful collection of narratives that span continents and cultures. Edited by young sustainability leader, climate activist and scholar Nico Cordonier Gehring, Futures 2025 brings together twenty-eight award-winning short stories written by talented young authors from around the world, each addressing the most pressing issues of our time: climate change, sustainability, and the future of our planet.

    From the resourceful adventure of a young girl who generates electricity from trash to the plight of a blue macaw fighting to save the Amazon rainforest, the anthology explores a wide range of perspectives on the global challenges posed by climate change. Through compelling narratives, readers are invited to discover what lurks in whispering forests, what secrets lie hidden in seascapes, and what lessons are waiting to be learned from a constellation of young mathematicians.

    This creative and diverse collection is one of the initiatives of the Global Youth Council on Science, Law, and Sustainability (GYC), in partnership with the Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative (VoFG CI). The Council itself was founded by passionate students, united in their mission to advance environmental education and advocate for the rights of children facing the harsh realities of climate change.

    “We started with a small team and a contest, sending a call out to all our networks. We received over 200 hundred entries from more than 60 countries! The selection of the winning stories was made by an international panel of distinguished judges, who were really impressed with the creativity of the stories,” shares Nico Roman, the British and Canadian young editor of Futures 2025. “Our book is dedicated to the children who speak up so that the voices of our generation can be heard.”

    Through the power of storytelling, the young authors featured in Futures share their hopes for a better world—one where communities unite, where nature is preserved, and where no one is left behind. This anthology uplifts the voices and concerns of children and youth representing diverse regions and communities, revealing the transformative power of their ideals, imagination, and determination.

    A key contributor to the selection process, Professor Pamela Towela Sambo, Chair of the UN Human Rights Commission of Zambia, shared her thoughts on the anthology: “Each story reveals the intersection of the SDGs with the rights of children – showing how education, health, gender equality, access to water and energy, and climate action are not unrealistic dreams, but part of an indivisible commitment to human dignity.”

    Several of the young writers also served, along with VoFG CI Child Authors and Ambassadors, as instructors in a new online course offered by University of Cambridge colleges and institutes, teaching the key essentials of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Sustainable Development and the Law. 

    Special gratitude was conveyed, during the book’s online launch on the International Day of Education in January 2025, to Rene Steiner from Steinergraphics whose art was deeply appreciated, and to Phoebe McElligott who supported the youth throughout the project, as well as to the panel of distinguished judges.

    As the world grapples with pressing global sustainability and justice challenges, Futures serves as a call to action and an inspiration for all of us. It highlights the urgent need to listen to the voices of youth, empowering them to lead the way toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.

    The anthology is available for free as a downloadable PDF. Physical copies can also be purchased on Amazon.

    Get a copy here

    Futures

    About the Global Youth Council on Science, Law, and Sustainability
    The Global Youth Council on Science, Law, and Sustainability is an international platform for youth engagement on critical environmental issues. Through publications, campaigns, and advocacy, the Council empowers young people to take action and raise awareness of the challenges that children face due to climate change. By fostering collaboration across borders, the Council promotes a global movement for sustainability and environmental justice.

  • VoFG Hosts Roundtable on International Day of Education

    International Online Roundtable on Education, Children’s Rights, and the SDGs Celebrates International Day of Education

    January 31, 2025 – The Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative (VoFG CI) hosted a thought-provoking international online roundtable on Saturday, January 25, 2025, in celebration of International Day of Education. The event attracted over 300 attendees from around the world, sparking rich discussions on education, children’s rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the context of conflict and environmental degradation.

    The opening prayer was led by Elder Philomene Sanderson, a Plains Cree Elder from the Moosomin First Nation, who set a solemn tone for the event. Following the prayer, Adv. Wayne Garnons-Williams, CEO of the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada, delivered a powerful set of opening remarks, underscoring the importance of Indigenous children’s rights and celebrating The Brothes’ Reunion, an inspiring book written by Indigenous Child Author Ms. Sydnee Wynter Nisyok which addresses the Sixties Scoop using child-friendly language.

    A highlight of the roundtable was the keynote speech by Ms. Jessica Sheffield Zamora, founder of the Guardians of Nature movement, who eloquently addressed the intersection of environmental protection and education. Her message emphasized the urgent need for education systems worldwide to integrate environmental stewardship, particularly in light of climate change and ecological crises.

    The event also saw the launch of Futures, an anthology curated by Master Nico Roman, who is also the Vice-Chair of the Global Youth Council on Science, Law, and Sustainability. The anthology features contributions from young voices advocating for a sustainable future. In his remarks, Roman highlighted the importance of youth-led initiatives in driving global change and championing the SDGs.

    The online roundtable’s discussions were further enriched by insights from distinguished panelists and roundtable chairs, including Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger (CISDL, University of Cambridge, VoFG International Commission) and VoFG Lead Counsel Adv. Neshan Gunasakera. The panel addressed critical questions surrounding education and its role in the SDGs, such as:

    How do you define quality education in the context of current global challenges?

    What needs to change in education systems to empower children, especially Indigenous children?

    How can we work together to uphold children’s rights and ensure their well-being now and in the future?

    Panelists included experts such as Prof. Pamela Towela Sambo, Chairperson of the Zambia Human Rights Commission; Ms. Alysha Alva from the World’s Largest Lesson, Prof. Damilola S. Olawuyi SAN, UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, and VoFG Arabia educators and leaders Ms. Shama Noman and Mr. Hagop Dervitian. Voices of youth were also prominently represented, with young authors and advocates like Ms. Rehema Kibugi, Ms. Inayah Faeez, Ms. Anisa Daniel-Oniko, Ms. Saira Thomas, Master Zachary Fathally, Ms. Emma Yu, and Ms. Sydnee Nisyok.

    The roundtable addressed key issues such as how education systems worldwide can be reimagined to reflect the realities of climate change, conflict, and the need for greater inclusion of marginalized communities. Attendees expressed concerns about the future of education in the face of these challenges but also highlighted the growing role of children in shaping conversations around sustainable development and human rights.

    A significant takeaway from the roundtable discussions was the emphasis on inclusivity. As one attendee remarked, “I was greatly impressed at how children were included in all the discussions.” Another shared their appreciation for the diversity of voices represented during the event, noting how “participants from various backgrounds provided valuable insights into how different cultures approach education, children’s rights, and sustainable development.”

    One attendee remarked, “This should be broadcast in schools everywhere,” underscoring the importance of spreading these vital discussions to wider audiences, especially the younger generation. The event’s virtual format allowed for active participation from all corners of the globe, ensuring that diverse perspectives were heard and shared.

    The roundtable concluded with closing remarks from Prof. Ann Skelton, Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and Professor of Law at UNESCO Chair: Education Law in Africa. She stressed the importance of continued advocacy and the need to ensure that education becomes a powerful tool for advancing children’s rights and achieving the SDGs.

    Partners and collaborators for the event included the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada, the Emirates Literature Foundation, the World’s Largest Lesson, the World Future Council, the Goals Project, and the Guardians of Nature Movement.

    The roundtable served as a reminder that the future of education, children’s rights, and the SDGs is interconnected—and that the voices of future generations must be at the heart of these discussions.

    You can watch the full recording of the event right below.

  • Young Voices Rising for Biodiversity and Climate Action: CBD COP16

    I was honoured to speak at the Leadership Roundtable: Youth Voices in Biodiversity Governance as part of the Biodiversity Law and Governance Day during COP 16. Hosted by the Voices of the Future Generations Children’s Initiative (VoFG CI), the Global Youth Council on Science, Law & Sustainability (GYC), and the Youth Negotiators Academy (YNA). I had the opportunity to share my passion for sustainability and youth advocacy.

    My journey in environmental activism began early as a Child Ambassador with Voices of the Future Generations Children’s Initiative (VOFG CI) and today, I’m also the chair of the Global Youth Council on Science, Law & Sustainability (GYC). It’s been a journey grounded in my dedication to educating and empowering children and youth on urgent issues like climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

    Currently, I’m also a student at Winchester College and I am actively involved in our Sustainability Society and Natural History Society. In addition to engaging in Model United Nations, I run my own blog, Nico’s Natural World, where I explore environmental themes close to my heart. I’m also a member of the editorial team for Harmony Youth Journal, an online platform dedicated to amplifying youth voices on sustainability challenges.

    The Global Youth Council on Science, Law & Sustainability (GYC) emerged during the pandemic when a group of passionate young people decided to take action amid global challenges. Our mission is to advance education on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while engaging youth in critical conversations about climate action, biodiversity, and environmental law. Through initiatives like Harmony Youth Journal, we are helping young people from diverse backgrounds and countries to express their perspectives and contribute to the global dialogue on sustainability.

    Right now, we face a biodiversity crisis and a worsening climate emergency, putting ecosystems and human livelihoods at risk. From the local wetlands of East Anglia, where I live, to fragile ecosystems around the world, nature is under threat. This loss is deeply unjust, particularly for future generations and the countless species with whom we share this planet. The SDGs—especially SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)—and frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) remind us that we all have a responsibility to protect and restore our planet.

    In my recent article Protecting our Fenlands: A Short History of East Anglia Biodiversity Ravages, Resistance and Rewilding published in the Harmony Youth Journal, I addressed the ongoing destruction of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for biodiversity and act as natural carbon sinks, helping to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Growing up near these beautiful, misty landscapes of East Anglia, I have come to appreciate their unique wildlife, rich history, and resilient local communities. These communities hold deep connections to the land, with traditions and histories interwoven with Indigenous practices of conservation and resistance to exploitation.

    Inspired by this landscape, last year I undertook a three-day paddle journey from Cambridge to the North Sea, covering 67 km to raise awareness and funds for wetland protection. The journey became a meaningful expression of resistance against climate change and biodiversity loss. The art I created from this experience reflects the beauty, resilience, and urgency of protecting these landscapes before they are lost forever.

    Through Harmony Youth Journal and our other projects, we create a platform for young people to voice their concerns, share solutions, and demand urgent change. As we launched the second issue of the Harmony Youth Journal. This is just one step forward, but it is a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when we raise our voices together for a sustainable future.

    Joining forces with other young activists at this event was an inspiring experience, and I’m hopeful that, together, we can drive meaningful action for our planet. Let’s continue this movement and make a difference before it’s too late.

    Watch here the video of the CBD COP 16:

  • New article on protecting our fenlands and showcasing new artwork—take a look!

    Artwork by: Nico Cordonier-Gehring

    Check out my new article Protecting our Fenlands: A Short History of East Anglia Biodiversity Ravages, Resistance and Rewilding published by the Global Youth Council on Science, Law & Sustainability (GYC).

    Here’s a sneak peek!

    Introduction

    The cultural, economic, and political history of the Fenlands, including my Cambridgeshire home in East Anglia, offer an inspiring tale of biodiversity ravages, resistance and rewildings. Across nearly 1,500 square miles of southeastern Lincolnshire, most of Cambridgeshire including parts of historic Huntingdonshire, and the westernmost parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Fens lie inland of the Wash. I was raised in this region where my grandfather and ancestors made their homes, and it is beautiful with wide open skies, vast misty wetlands, unique and wonderful wildlife, and distinct local communities. Local communities here hold a rich history, interwoven with indigenous religious practices and a spirit of resistance against external forces and exploitation, dating back to the days of the Gyrwas (the Fenlanders, or Fennish commoners) under King Canute. The history of Fenlands peoples and nature is a story of resistance to the destruction of biodiversity lands and livelihoods, which continues to this day through the conservation, carbon sink, and rewilding projects of local communities, youth, historians and scientists, including from the University of Cambridge. 

    Read the full article for free: Protecting our Fenlands: A Short History of East Anglia Biodiversity Ravages, Resistance and Rewilding

  • Announcing Our Esteemed Judges for the Stories for Futures Competition!

    We are delighted to unveil the distinguished panel of judges who will be evaluating the submissions for the Stories for Futures competition for young writers with a sustainable vision as Voices of Future Generations. With their extensive experience and deep appreciation for the written word, we are confident they will bring a unique perspective to the judging process.

    🌟 Meet the Judges 🌟

    • Prof. Freya Beatens is a Professor of Public International Law at the Faculty of Law, and Director of the International Human Rights Summer School at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, also affiliated with the PluriCourts Centre of Excellence (Faculty of Law, Oslo University) and the Europa Institute (Faculty of Law, Leiden University).
    • Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger is a world-leading scholar and jurist in the field of sustainable development law governance. She is the Senior Director of CISDL and serves as Chair in Sustainable Development Law and Policy at the University of Cambridge.
    • Mr. Alistair Henfrey is the Head of the English Department at Winchester College.
    • Dr. Odeeth Lara-Morales is the Programme Manager of VoFG CI, an Associate Fellow at CISDL, a Lecturer at the University of Waterloo and a Project Officer with UNA-Canada.
    • Max Lee is an avid writer, poet, and creative who aspires to help young children find their niches as he did through his love for language and literature. In 2020, in the midst of an epidemic, Max founded a Hong Kong-based youth education company driven by his true joy in educating, Crown Education, teaching with a small group of young visionaries from drama to debate to poetry.
    • Ela Martínez is an educator with over six years of experience working with teachers, students, and families within and outside of the school context. Ela is the Programme Coordinator of VoFG CI and an Associate Fellow at CISDL.
    • Julie Smith, Baroness of Newnham is a current member of the House of Lords and an academic specialising in European politics at the University of Cambridge.
    • Prof. Pamela Towela Sambo, is the Head of Department, Private Law at the University of Zambia. She specialises in the legal aspects of environmental justice, EIAs and human rights.

    We are honoured to have such an illustrious group of judges for this competition. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will ensure a fair and insightful evaluation of each story.

    Stay tuned for the results!

  • Drainage, Resistance and Rewilding Movements in the East Anglia Fenland: A History Presentation by Nico Roman

    Watch Nico’s short history presentation on drainage, resistance and rewilding movements in the East Anglia fenland, UK.

    This brief Massolit-style presentation focuses on the fascinating economic, natural and political history of the Fenlands in East Anglia. It is a story of resistance to the destruction of wetlands and livelihoods, from Hereward the Wake of 1060 to the Isle of Axholme Mowbray Accord of 1305 to the Powtes Complaynte of 1611, the Bedford Level Corporation of 1663, the Enclosure Act of 1795, and the steam-powered drainages of the 1800s and 1900s, to the floods, erosion and siltation of the 2000s.

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  • Speech for UN Day at Lund International School

    By Nico Roman (Oct 2023)

    Hello and thank you very much.

    It’s brilliant to be able to join you today online, for your International School in Lund’s event on Recognizing Children’s Rights to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, standing up for our present – and for our future!

    As you know, I volunteer as a UN Child Ambassador for the SDGs with the Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative. As part of this commitment, I edit an online blog – Nico’s Natural World – with over 9000 impressions, and hundreds of followers.

    Together, we stand for our children’s rights – as reflected in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially Articles 24 and 29 that promise us a healthy environment and education about nature, and also Articles 12 to 13 that guarantee us a voice in decisions that concern us.

    Our future, and the futures of all species on Earth, concern us!

    They really do!

    I might be only a child, but I know that advancing the world’s SDGs, especially SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 15 to Protect Life on Land, makes the difference between a terrible global nightmare, and the future we want.

    We are speaking out to ask everyone to wake up.

    Climate change and biodiversity loss are real, dangerous and urgent.

    Even in Cambridge where I live there has been massive flooding, with loss and damage, due to the terrible impacts of a storm that recently passed through. It was even worse in Scotland where sadly several people lost their lives.

    We live in a climate emergency, with wildfires, droughts and heat waves rising, while extreme storms and flooding increase, hurting the most vulnerable among us like children and the elderly, first. And it will get worse if we can’t all work together, rather than continuing all the harmful practices!

    We also live in a biodiversity emergency, with thousands of species already lost, and many more at risk of going extinct forever, unless we can all help to protect nature recovery!

    We can also each do something to help, ourselves, even as children. Really we can.

    As one example, rather than staying scared, sad and angry, I decided to kayak 67 kilometers from Cambridge where we all live along the Cam and Great Ouse Rivers to the sea.

    Together, we were raising awareness and funds for local and global charities who are trying to protect children’s rights and nature from the horrific, frightening impacts of climate change. 😊

    All funds we raised went directly to the Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative and others.

    Having volunteered for years with Voices, helping young people around the world speak out, standing up for their rights and for nature, we know they’re terrific.

    We also supported local charities Wicken Fen and the Cambridge University Botanic Garden who are working to protect our fenlands from terrible climate change impacts, and to promote education about sustainability solutions.

    Direct action in our communities and raising funds to protect children and nature from climate change are very inspiring. They only a start, though.

    As children, we are also trying very hard to be heard, locally and globally, to stop the suffering and losses from getting even worse.

    We must make sure our leaders tackle the climate and biodiversity crises with strength and unity, and learn how to protect and include everyone, especially indigenous voices. We can’t just ignore problems until everything is just too late!

    Our rights are being directly infringed by current policies, laws and decisions – locally, nationally and internationally.

    We need new guardian laws, institutions and networks.

    The world needs to take children’s fears and interests much more seriously, and especially, needs all of us to be able to work together as children, and to respect and listen to indigenous children, and youth too.

    As children we have a duty to speak up and force our leaders to take action against climate change and environmental troubles.

    If we want to make a difference, we must scale up our understanding, our education and our voices!

    As one other example, which maybe is interesting to you in this event…

    Earlier this year my friend Wezi from Zambia and I wrote a submission for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child General Comment 26, about climate justice, and the rights of children in times of climate change.

    We studied the science, the law and the politics, becoming very, very worried. We focused on the links between climate change and…

    our rights as children to education in General Comment 26 para 49,

    our right to non-discrimination in GC26 para 50-51,

    our rights as children to be heard in GC26 para 56-58, and

    our right to freedom of expression para 59-61.

    We also commented on access to justice and remedies for children in relation to climate change (paras 62-70), and of course

    our right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (para 71-74).

    For instance, we argued that:

    “action needs to be taken immediately on all fronts to protect and realise [the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment] for children.

    We understand that you might need to ask to ‘phase out’ fossil fuels (para 73 d), but many of us who are climate-strikers feel very, very strongly that it is already nearly too late, and all fossil fuels need to be banned as soon as possible. It is crazy that current generations of adult are still allowing our energy to be coming from non-renewable sources that poison our Earth, and this has to change immediately.”

    We also argued about the need to protect biodiversity, all of nature, not just children, from the impacts of climate change.

    As good news, our advice was picked up by the UN Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, Professor David Boyd, and we actually managed to change the Commentary!

    They took into account our views about the global Biodiversity Emergency, globally, which we argued “is just as serious and equally terrible, impacting millions of species that our generation, and all future generations, might lose forever, and never even know about.”

    We told them: “You do mention that climate change is devastating biodiversity, and you mention the rising problems of biodiversity loss and destruction of nature… but we believe that you should recognize the need for urgent action to protect nature and biodiversity in the interests of current and future generations. You can refer to some of the commitments agreed in Montreal during the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15, especially the important promises in the Global Biodiversity Framework to look for ‘nature-positive’ solutions to climate change and biodiversity emergencies, and to protect much more of land and sea for current and future generations.”

    They listened, and the need to protect biodiversity is now highlighted more than 14 times in the General Comment 26 of the United Nations, which is guiding countries and other people all over the world in their work to fight climate change and respect the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    To conclude: basically, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child promises us a healthy environment and this right means that willful destruction of natural habitats, without any regard for the plants and animals, nor for all future generations… just needs to stop.

    And – even the smallest child CAN make a BIG difference, towards a more sustainable world for us all.

    Thank you!

    Also, check out this article Nurturing Future Generations: Celebrating United Nations Day