ActNowFilm premieres at COP29

Youth leaders from around the planet celebrated the COP29 premiere of a new film demanding global negotiators give them a say in their own future.

From Portugal to The Gambia, young people featured in ActNowFilm, offer their compelling personal stories alongside insights from climate actors on the world stage, like Former Ireland President Mary Robinson, African indigenous leader Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim and Paris agreement architect Christiana Figueres.

Both groups express their frustration over the slow pace of current global action to reduce emissions and protect life on Earth.

The film shines a light on youth leaders like Mariana Gomes, who leads a lawsuit against the Portuguese state for non-compliance with National Climate Law.

“Young people need to be at the negotiating table because it's our future that is being discussed,” Gomes said.

“We need to be there, we need to have a voice and be taken seriously."
Mariana Gomes

Mariana Gomes at COP28 UAE/Credit Mariana Gomes

Also featured in the film is Dawda Cham, a Gambian environment and climate youth leader.

“I have seen first-hand the harsh impact of climate change," he said. "Two of my brothers died trying to migrate away from The Gambia, because of the devastation climate change is causing."

Dawda Cham on beach clean up in The Gambia/Credit Dawda Cham

“Things will only get worse until the world unites to truly take decisive action.”

Dawda Cham

Mary Robinson the former President of Ireland, former Chair of The Elders, and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Envoy on Climate Change, appears in the film speaking about global governance.

"Young people must be included in the negotiations that will decide the future of our world," Robinson said.

ActNowFilm premiered in the 6^th Capacity-Building Hub at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where some of the youth leaders in the film spoke about their experiences.

ActNowFilm: Youth Climate Leaders as Agents of Change was produced by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Cambridge Zero, working with Drummer Television.

“ActNowfilm shows how young people are taking action on climate in a way that inspires others to do the same, whilst also demonstrating to global policymakers that they are credible leaders of change,” said Dr Amy Munro-Faure, Head of Student Engagement and Education at Cambridge Zero and Co-Director of the ActNowFilm Project.

It is the fourth film from the ActNowFilm Project, launched in 2021. The films showcase the pioneering work of eight young people aged 18-35 years old, who come from every continent except Antarctica, as well as experts in climate change.

group of people holding white and blue banner

Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash

Youth climate leader Nisreen Elsaim/Credit Nisreen Elsaim

Watch ActNowFilm

Cambridge Zero is the University of Cambridge’s ambitious climate change initiative, harnessing the power of research to tackle climate change at one of the top global research universities in the world.