COP29: 12-year-old Ferre from Antwerp to address world leaders in Baku
A young Belgian voice for climate action is set to resonate on a global stage. Twelve-year-old Ferre from Antwerp will be one of the youngest participants at the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. His mission: to address world leaders with a passionate message about the urgent need to protect the planet for future generations.
Ferre’s journey to the COP29 summit began over a year ago when he shared his desire to speak at the international climate event with his grandparents, who are active members of the Belgian organisation Grootouders voor het Klimaat (Grandparents for the Climate).
“We stepped out of the tram and, all of a sudden, he told me he wanted to go to the climate summit,” his grandmother, Ria Gielis, recounts. “What bothered him the most was that people from older generations would be deciding on the future of his generation.”
Inspired by his determination, Ferre’s grandparents worked tirelessly to make it happen. They eventually managed to secure official accreditations for him and themselves through Belgium’s climate administration. “We were very surprised,” says Gielis. “However, we always tell Ferre that everything is possible, as long as you really want it.”
Ferre will be representing young people from across the globe, speaking on behalf of all children concerned about climate change.
“I just want world leaders to understand how worried my generation is for the future,” he explains. “We are not on track to meet the 2050 climate goals, and it’s us, the young people, who will bear the brunt of those failures.”
His message carries a profound sense of urgency. As leaders convene to discuss targets and policies for 2050 and beyond, Ferre is determined to remind them that while they may be approaching retirement by mid-century, today’s children, and their future families, will experience the lasting impacts of the decisions made today.
Messages of support
For Ferre, climate action is not just a distant goal. He wants leaders to consider the world they will leave behind for their own children and grandchildren, emphasising that the choices made today will shape the safety, health and wellbeing of future generations.
“I think it is weird that they are not involving more young people in the discussion," he says. "We should have an equal, if not larger, voice in shaping climate policies.”
Ferre has his school, ‘t Speelscholeke, behind him, which organised a special send-off event on 8 November, where classmates from the fifth and sixth grade cheered him on. As part of the event, pupils prepared messages and drawings and gave them to Ferre, expressing their hopes and support for his journey. These will eventually be handed over to Peter Wittoeck, Belgium’s main negotiator at COP29.
"We should have an equal, if not larger, voice in shaping climate policies"
He also gets support from Grootouders voor het Klimaat, a Belgian organisation of grandparents dedicated to ensuring a sustainable world for future generations, where his grandparents are active members.
The group has rallied around Ferre’s cause, raising funds and providing logistical support to make his trip to Baku possible. They see Ferre as a symbol of the intergenerational fight for climate action and are proud to help bring his voice to the world stage.
“Our generation has a responsibility to support young voices like Ferre’s. We must do what we can to ensure they have a livable world,” says co-chair Hugo Van Dienderen.
Ferre, who is tet to depart with his grandparents on 10 November, will have a packed agenda, with the goal of leaving a lasting impression on those at the conference. COP29 will bring together world leaders, climate experts, activists and policymakers, and Ferre’s voice will serve as a reminder of what’s at stake for the next generation.
#FlandersNewsService | Ferre and his grandparents © PHOTO HANDOUT - RIA GIELIS
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