A Ghanaian Environmentalist, Chibeze Ezekiel has been appointed to the Panel of International Experts on the Environment of Peace 2022 (EP2022) project.

 

The Executive Coordinator of the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) will serve as a panel member. The EP2022 project is an ambitious new initiative that aims to increase global understanding of the impacts that simultaneous environmental crises are having on peace and insecurity.

 

It will analyse the drivers of and linkages between environmental change and its social dimensions—examining not just climate change but the consequences of issues such as the loss of biodiversity, water insecurity and land degradation.

 

It will explore the challenges and opportunities ahead, presenting clear and practical recommendations that can be adopted at different levels of decision-making.

 

The initiative leads up to 2022, the year, which marks the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) – the first major intergovernmental conference to look at the human relationship with the environment and wider developments in both the environmental and peacebuilding spheres.

 

The project is led by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) under the guidance of a panel of international experts. The panel will be chaired by Margot Wallström, former Swedish Foreign Minister and former European Commissioner for Environment.

 

Other panellists include former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Administrator of the UN Development Programme (New Zealand), Helen Clark, the CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (India), Arunabha Ghosh, the Sustainable Development Goal Advocate and environmental activist (Chad), Hindou Ibrahim, the Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (China), Ma Jun, and the co-Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Germany/Sweden), Johan Rockström.

 

The Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Civil Service and Communications of Fiji (Fiji), Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Norway), Ulf Sverdrup, the Director of SIPRI (United Kingdom) Dan Smith, the Director of Programs and Development, Elman Peace and Human Rights Center (Somalia) Ilwad Elman and Isabel Studer, Founding Director, Sostenibilidad Global (Mexico) are members of the panel.

 

Chibeze’s great interest around youth inclusion in governance of the environmental sector particularly climate change and clean energy in Ghana will be very helpful to the EP project and ensure that the panel includes voices from the younger generation. He is a strong advocate for youth inclusion in policy and decision-making processes, especially on issues related to climate change and environmental governance.

 

350.org is an international movement that advocates against the use of fossil fuel and promotes building a world of community-led renewable energy for all. It has a presence in Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America and the Pacific.

 

He is a certified Youth Master Trainer on Climate Change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) National Champion and a Climate Reality Leader. Chibeze chairs the Youth in Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (Youth-NREG) Platform convene by SYND. The platform provides space for knowledge learning and sharing among young people on different environmental actions as well as create an opportunity for joint advocacy.