Elementary school student youngest honorary delegate at COP15

COP15’s youngest honorary delegate made her debut on the world stage Sunday, sharing her hopes for the future. While she may not be the tallest speaker at the international biodiversity conference, the 11-year-old says her generation should be top of mind as world leaders and delegates develop an action plan for the future.

“Anything you do isn’t going to matter much, if we don’t have a planet to do it on. So, we’re very smart kids and we have got this, but don’t make it worse for us,” said honorary delegate, Violet Lamoureux.

She was one three Willingdon Elementary School students who took to the stage during Sunday’s United Nations Youth and Community Environment Festival. The grade six students are members of the school’s green committee, who work on compost and recycling projects around the NDG school.

“They are doing these small things and it was important for me that they be part of this in some way, shape or form,” said Willingdon Elementary School Science Specialist, Kathleen Usher.

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Usher focused on bringing children’s voices to COP15. Her students made a video with children in China to express their biodiversity goals for the future.

“Well, I hope that we all would like reduce having things like individually wrapped with so much plastic output,” said grade six student Caitlyn Kemp.

Usher also nominated Violet Lamoureux to be the international conference’s youngest honorary delegate.

“She just took me aside and was like, ‘COP15 is in a bit and would you like to be a delegate?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah,’” exclaimed Lamoureux.

The 11-year-old will tour the COP15 grounds with a United Nations representative this week.

“Apparently there are going to be some cool exposes on nature, and I always like to be inspired, learn more about nature,” she said.

Despite a smaller presence from Lamoureux’s own generation at the conference, the youngest delegate is encouraging them to stay inspired and curious about protecting their planet.

“I’m 11 and I went to COP15. Think of what you could do,” she told Global News.