Severn Cullis-Suzuki: “The world needs to hear from children”

Environmental activist and son of Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki now heads the foundation his father created in 1990. Ever since he was a child, he has had a strong passion for environmental protection. She is quite similar to Greta Thunberg of her time.

On the eve of the upcoming Earth Summit, Stockholm+50, a meeting where ministers, delegates and civil society representatives will take the pulse of the planet, we spoke with Severn Cullis-Suzuki to ask her what her views are on the state of the world when he delivered his speech in 1992 and how his vision developed.

Why in 1992, when you were only 12 years old, did you want to go to the Rio Summit and what was your state of mind then?

I went to the Earth Summit because I was scared. I’ve heard what scientists and elders are saying about the environment, about the threats hanging over the world. A world I value so much.

My friends, Michelle Quigg, Vanessa Suttie, Morgan Geilser, and I formed a group and registered as a nonprofit for Earth Summit. We organized activities to fund our trip.

Arriving there, we worked tirelessly every day. The goal is to talk to as many people as possible. You know, there are thousands of people in the corridors of these big meetings and everyone is in a hurry. We talked to anyone who wanted to listen. And we realized that even when we were young, people were already interested in what we had to say, until little by little we were invited to their events.

And how did you speak at the UN plenary?

On the last day of the conference, a speaker who would speak in plenary was unable to give his speech. In the meantime, we stumbled upon James P. Grant, the Executive Director of UNICEF. He heard about us and he only learned from Maurice Strong (a Canadian diplomat who played an important role at this summit, especially in the adoption of Agenda 21, the Rio declaration and the framework conventions on Climate Change and Biological Diversity) that there is a vacancy in the plenary schedule. We soon received a phone call offering to speak to delegates at the UN Plenary.

How did you feel after receiving this call?

I don’t have time to get angry or stress. I remember being so focused on what I had to do. That’s why we went to Rio: to hear; to deliver a very important message to negotiators around the world. I already knew what I was going to do. It’s been two weeks since I tried, in the corridors of the summit, to convince adults that they need to think of the next generations in their decision -making.

” I am fighting for my future. Losing your prospects is not like losing an election or losing a few points in the stock market. “

What is the state of your mind now, 30 years later?

Both passions are still driving me, but my prospects for the future are different. Because I am a mother now and fight for my own children.

” I was just a kid but I knew we were all part of a big strong family of 5 billion people; in fact, 30 million species. And borders and governments will never change that. “

Will you change anything in the speech you gave?

I will change nothing in this speech. This was said by a child, a child who knew full well that his future was in danger. You know, I think only kids can express themselves to leaders in a raw and direct way because they’re the main ones affected by what’s to come. The world needs to hear from children.

” When you were my age, did you have to worry about your environment? It all happens right in front of your eyes and yet you act as if you have all the time in the world and all the solutions. I was just a kid but I knew we didn’t have solutions all this time. “

Has the world changed since the first Earth Summit 50 years ago?

Oh yes, the world has changed. In my opinion, the biggest change is the pre-eminence of big business. The rise of large enterprises has been meteoric since 1972. The aggregation of wealth is so powerful that state power is influenced by corporations whose revenues are often greater than the gross domestic product of some. country. As a result, state power was severely damaged. And unfortunately, the goal of these large corporations is to grow profit and not the welfare of the citizens.

We don’t have to go back 50 years. Look at the declarations signed 30 years ago, in 1992, they were more ambitious and largely legally valid. We won’t see that now.

” My dad always said, “You do what you do, not what you say.” Why, what you do is tearful at night. You elders, you love us. But I challenge you, make your actions reflect your words. “

So you think part of the problem right now is that we are going through a planet-wide governance crisis?

I said we need to be realistic. Thirty years ago, in Rio, we identified problems very well and we had a lot of solutions at hand and yet, we did very little. We already know that climate change will pose serious challenges to humanity. I think most politicians want to do the right thing and want to change things, but the system by which they govern is somehow broken.

We cannot make good decisions for the good of our children. When Steven Guilbeault became Minister of the Environment, I had high hopes that things would change. I know he’s doing all he can, but if he, a former environmentalist, does approve an oil extraction project in 2022, the management system will be seriously compromised.

This week we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the very first Earth Summit in Stockholm. There will be discussions about the future and health of the planet. Do you think these meetings are still relevant?

I love to chat, I love to meet people and I love to travel, but I don’t think you should stick your head in the sand. The results were unsatisfactory. Think again if you think these meetings will save the world.

What do you want to see happen at the next Earth Summit?

In the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw what an adequate emergency response looked like. Governments have the ability to act if they really want to. We have also seen that at will, political parties can work together when it is urgent. They are able to listen to what scientists are saying. So we can still get there if we make all the effort here. Why is this different from the climate crisis? I want leaders around the world to put in the same strength to fight this existing crisis that the climate crisis.

In your opinion, does the concept of sustainable development still hold water?

I don’t think we have really found a way to make sustainable development possible. Before proceeding with this concept, or any other concept, developed countries really need to consume less. How do we ask developing countries that are trying to live with a minimum and want to achieve the same quality of life as we do to consume less? It’s almost racist and it’s almost unfair. Developed countries must lead by example. The very first thing is to consume less.

How do you think we can change things?

I have no answer to this big question. But I think young people have great power. And I’m sure to see that they have acted over the years. We need more Greta Thunberg.

If your child wanted to go to an Earth Summit to try to be heard, would you encourage them?

Absolutely, without hesitation.