The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce and Bermuda College will host their first Eco Lunch and Learn presentation of the season next week.

A presentation will be given by youth leader Noelle Young, who works with Greenpeace and consults for the Caribbean Sustainable Aquaculture group.

Ms Young has an educational background specialising in aquaculture and fisheries, and has also worked on projects in South Africa and Canada.

In her lecture, Ms Young will challenge the traditional notion of resilience, particularly as it applies to vulnerable communities such as Bermuda.

She argues that the emphasis on resilience often shifts the burden of enduring systemic injustices on to the very people least equipped to bear it, while absolving those in power from enacting necessary change.

The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Amy Harvey, the Earth and Environmental Science lecturer at Bermuda College, said: “Noelle is one of Bermuda’s environmental youth leaders and we are excited to hear about youth empowerment and how we can get them engaged in environmental renewability and part of the solutions for climate change.

“Many of our young people suffer from climate change anxiety and get overwhelmed by all of the negative messaging out there. They feel that what they do does not really have a significant impact so many times choose to do nothing.

“Our youth are a vulnerable sector of our population as they have not caused this problem but it is their generation that is left to fix it. They need support from stakeholders to help them with innovations and solution-based thinking instead of the current mindset of adapting to environmental issues, or even worse, a mindset of apathy.

“We need our community to understand that collectively we can all make a valuable difference.”

Jennifer Flood, BEST’s executive officer, added: “The choice of topic — elevation not endurance — is timely. Climate change is real, and while effects are being felt worldwide it is generally those countries and communities that have contributed least to the causes of the changes that are suffering the most.

“For example, CO2 emission in tonnes per capita range from a staggeringly high 24.9 in Kuwait to a mere 0.04 in Congo. African countries consistently produce less than one tonne per person per year, yet climate change has led to severe droughts, food shortages and famine in many of the continent’s countries.

“Low-lying countries such as Bangladesh and Island nations are struggling to address sea-level rise and stronger hurricanes. How can this imbalance be addressed? Who should pay? How should those payments be made? How can people be encouraged to change behaviours that are harmful to others?

“Noelle has attended COP28 and numerous other global events and I am sure will have many insights and possible solutions to offer.”

The free presentation, which does not require registration, will be held next Thursday between 1pm and 2pm at the college’s Athene Room.

Light refreshments will be provided but attendees are asked to bring their own beverage.

The lecture can also be viewed on Facebook or the college’s YouTube channel.