The weekend of November 13-15th brought together young people from around the world to meet in Lund and discuss climate change ahead of the climate summit in Copenhagen, COP15. The 300 participants at Klimatting ETT increased their knowledge by listening to lectures on, among other things, climate policy and the carbon footprint of food. The new skills were used in the three tracks that would develop proposals to be submitted to COP15, to start climate related projects and to create recommendations to improve each individual's ability to reduce their climate impact. On Sunday, a vote was held in order to bring forward the three best ideas from the weekend.

The outcome of The Climate Gathering in Lund was presented to a panel consisting of:

- Mats Helmfrid (Mayor and Chairman of the City Executive Board)
- Karin Loodberg (Head of Environmental Strategy Development)
- Håkan Samuelsson (Climate Municipalities, Coordinator)
- Thomas Björnsson (Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Klimatnätverket)
- Dimitra Papoudimitriou (Caretakers of the Environment International, CEI, Greece)

Here are some of the youths recommendations to COP15:

• Global bank, 2GDP: Introduce a global bank for Climate Action, to which all countries must pay 2 percent of GDP.
• Education, practical & emotional: The young people stressed most of all the importance of education in climate and sustainability issues. Most votes received a proposal that recommended a strategic investment in education for sustainable development, ranging from nursery, primary and secondary schools to politicians, adults and seniors in the community. Formal, informal and non formal education for sustainable development are all crucial pieces in order to establish this.
• Campaign project against plastic bags: "Plastic bag kills", and with the intention to promote taxes on environmentally harmful products.

In addition to these proposals came several other ideas that might become a reality. For example, how about a system equivalent to Weight Watchers points, but on greenhouse gases?

Among the many reponses from the panel were Thomas Björnsson saying that the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation should take these ideas further the Climate Action Network, CAN.

Mats Helmfrid thought the global bank, 2 GDP, was a good idea and that we can influence to make that happen.

Thomas Björnsson commented that Sweden could start - "We don't need international negotiations and agreements before we start here locally and become a role model."
(huge applause from the audience..).

A young woman in the audience asked which of the questions being put forward by the Climate Gathering, that the panel considered being the most important.

Thomas Björnsson responded: "Setting up the global bank."

Mats Helmfrid thought it was important making it legally binding. That every country must contribute. Also the USA and China.

Karin Loodberg agreed on the importance of collaboration between western world and other parts like the developing countries.

The general concern in the panel seemed to be that the COP 15 meeting in Copenhagen will have a really difficult job to achieve when it comes to commitment from all countries.

The young woman in the audience told that she, and many with her, will also participate at the COP15, perhaps not in the official meeting rooms, but out in the streets, in alternative gatherings.

From Lund, negotiations are under way right now for the proposals from KLIMATTING ETT to get a space at the EU pavilion during COP15, but many of the youngsters are already determined to go to Copenhagen and attend whatever the outcome!

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