Young Bahamians Journey to Glasgow for COP26

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – As the nation’s leaders engage in high-level meetings at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, young Bahamian activists are also in Glasgow making their voices heard.

Vaughnique Toote reports.

In the midst of a crowd of young international climate, activists sat 29-year-old Oneil Leadon, a Bahamian biology grad who ventured all the way from The Bahamas to Glasgow to attend COP26.

Our News met him at Extreme Hangout, a forum designed to give youngsters a voice in the global conversation about climate change.

Leadon graduated from the University of The Bahamas with a degree in biology and is now pursuing a career in natural science. While his studies have informed much of his feelings on climate change, it goes deeper for the young activist, who has seen the effects of this major global threat firsthand.

Leadon secured a sponsorship to make the long and expensive journey to Glasgow to ensure the voices of young Bahamians are heard.

Bahamian Celine Ferguson, who moved to Scotland in September to pursue her master’s in epidemiology, also made her presence felt at the youth forum.

After witnessing the devastation hurricane Dorian caused in The Bahamas in 2019, the 23-year-old says Bahamians can’t afford to just sit back and do nothing.

A UN report called a “Code Red for Humanity” warned that the world is warming faster than scientists previously thought.