Rock Aboujaoude At UN Climate Conference

LABELLE, FL. -- Rock Aboujaoude Jr., a University of Florida student from LaBelle, Florida, is helping represent U.S. university students at the U.N. climate change youth conference being held November 3-6 in Marrakech, Morocco.

Majoring in International Food and Resource Economics, Rock traveled to Marrakech where he is delivering talks on the climate change activities of U.S. students and NGO's.

The UN Conference of Youth (COY) is a meeting of mostly university students held every year during the week prior to the UN Conference of Parties (COP). Marrakech is the site of the 12th annual youth gathering and the 22nd Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In November of 2015, more than 4000 university students attended the youth meeting in Paris prior to the historic conference that concluded the Paris Agreement on climate change agreement. The agreement negotiated last year in Paris officially came into force as international law on Friday, November 4, 2016, a year ahead of schedule.

The Morocco gathering will begin implementing the historic accord that seeks to avert the worst impacts of man-made climate change. COP22 is tasked with continuing the momentum of the Paris accord.

"I think people everywhere understand that we are decades behind in taking proper action on climate change. The current generation of students simply cannot wait any longer. We are here in Morocco to emphasize that point to the UN leaders and to organize actions of today's youth." said Aboujaoude.

Commenting on the selection of Morocco for this year's gathering, Aboujaoude said, "Last year in Paris I was impressed with the energy and activism of the European students and those who came from countries outside of Europe. Holding the gathering this year in Africa is symbolic of how people everywhere are and will be affected by climate change. We absolutely must work together to take on this challenge."