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| UN Youth Climate Summit | |
|---|---|
| Name | UN Youth Climate Summit |
| Formation | 2019 |
| Type | International youth summit |
| Headquarters | United Nations Headquarters |
| Parent organization | United Nations |
UN Youth Climate Summit The UN Youth Climate Summit convenes young leaders, activists, and delegates at United Nations Headquarters to influence international policy on climate change, sustainable development, and environmental justice. Initiated alongside high‑level meetings such as the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Climate Change Conference, the summit connects networks including UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and global youth movements such as Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion. It amplifies voices from regions represented in bodies like the African Union, the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Pacific Islands Forum through partnerships with institutions such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and civil society organizations like Sierra Club. The gathering bridges coalitions spanning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Green Climate Fund, Climate Action Network, and academic partners like Harvard University and University of Oxford.
The summit functions as a platform where representatives from Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, G77, and developed states including United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan engage with delegations from Brazil, India, China, South Africa, and Australia alongside nonstate actors such as Amnesty International, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth. Sessions feature youth delegates drawn from initiatives like UN Major Group for Children and Youth, Youth Climate Summit Network, One Young World, and university chapters tied to Columbia University and Stanford University. Programming links advocacy, science, and policy by referencing reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and financing instruments including the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility.
The summit emerged in the context of mobilizations following events like the Paris Agreement negotiations and youth campaigns triggered by figures such as Greta Thunberg and movements including Sunrise Movement and Youth Climate Strike. Early iterations drew on precedents set by gatherings like the UN Youth Assembly and thematic conferences at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties. Stakeholders coordinating the summit included offices within the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the UN Secretary‑General's envoys, and partner NGOs such as Restless Development and AIESEC. Development of the summit incorporated methodologies from Rio+20, lessons from the Sustainable Development Goals process, and inputs from regional fora like the Arab Youth Forum and the Asia-Pacific Forum.
Core objectives align with negotiating frames used in COP26, COP27, and preceding UN Climate Change Conference sessions: accelerating net zero commitments, equity in climate finance, and adaptation for vulnerable populations represented by delegations from Tuvalu, Kiribati, Bangladesh, and Mozambique. Thematic tracks mirror subject matter from the Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and initiatives such as the Global Stocktake, focusing on emissions reduction, renewable energy transitions championed by entities like International Renewable Energy Agency, nature‑based solutions promoted by Convention on Biological Diversity, and youth leadership exemplified by alumni from Youth Delegate Programme.
Organizational structures rely on collaboration between the Office of the Secretary‑General, the UN Department of Global Communications, and youth coalitions like Children and Youth Major Group. Participant selection involves nominations from national missions to the United Nations, youth networks such as Global Youth Biodiversity Network, and partner NGOs including CARE International and Oxfam. Sessions host speakers ranging from representatives of UNICEF, UNDP, and World Health Organization to activists associated with 350.org and academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University. Sponsorship and logistical support come from multilateral institutions like the World Bank Group and philanthropic foundations linked to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
Programming includes plenaries with figures from United Nations General Assembly, policy labs modelled after UN Innovative Solutions Summit, workshops drawing on research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, youth pledges coordinated with Action for Climate Empowerment, and roundtables with finance experts from the International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank. Side events have featured partnerships with TEDx, creative interventions by collectives like Artists4Climate, trainings adapted from ICLEI toolkits, and strategy sessions with networks such as Global Shapers Community and Ashoka. Demonstrations and mobilizations at linked sites like Central Park and near diplomatic missions have connected summit outcomes to grassroots campaigns led by chapters of Friends of the Earth and 350.org.
Outcomes include youth declarations submitted to the UN Secretary‑General and inputs to negotiating texts at UNFCCC COP sessions, commitments from public entities and private firms to accelerate renewable energy and divestment influenced by campaigns targeting institutions like BlackRock and Vanguard. Measurable impacts appear in expanded youth representation in national climate strategies of countries such as Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and policy uptake in regional bodies like the European Commission and the African Union's environmental frameworks. The summit has catalyzed networks that contributed to reports cited by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and informed financing allocations from the Green Climate Fund and multilateral development banks.
Critiques have addressed perceived tokenism similar to controversies at COP26 and debates over access involving credentialing practices tied to national missions and organizations like UNESCO. Observers from Amnesty International and activists affiliated with Extinction Rebellion have argued that summit outcomes sometimes fall short of demands for systemic change advocated by movements such as Fridays for Future and Sunrise Movement. Additional controversies relate to corporate sponsorship parallels seen at events like World Economic Forum meetings and disputes over representation for indigenous groups tied to organizations such as the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change and rights institutions like Minority Rights Group International.
Category:Youth climate organizations