08/20/2024

Empowering young people to participate in global climate policy

Screenshot mit 56 Videocall participants. Under the tiles it says "Rewrite COP. CVF Youth Fellowship. Training Orientation 22 June 2024"
CVF Youth Fellowship Training Orientation on 22 June 2024

The International Climate Initiative (IKI) supported knowledge and capacity acceleration for young leaders in climate-vulnerable countries.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Youth - A Voice of Youth from Climate Vulnerable Nations pilot project was launched from June 2022 until December 2023 and supported by IKI under the CVF-V20 Joint Multi-Donor Fund. The project aimed to amplify the voices of young leaders from countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which launched the CVF Youth Fellowship Program.

This program selected 12 participants between the ages 18 and 25, representing 12 CVF member countries. These 12 young leaders received intensive training and support to accelerate their engagement in international climate policy discussions. Strategic partnerships and the commitment of the participants ensured the success of the CVF Youth Fellowship Program in fostering a new generation of climate leaders and integrating youth perspectives into global climate action.

Looking ahead, the project's impact goes well beyond its immediate outcomes. It has played a pivotal role in launching a new, more structured programme for continued youth engagement in climate action within the CVF and beyond. The invaluable lessons learned from the previous project have informed this new initiative, which is closely aligned with the CVF's mission to drive ambitious global climate action.

Rewrite COP: CVF Youth Fellowship Program

The CVF and The Climate Reality Project Philippines launched the Rewrite COP: CVF Youth Fellowship Program on 22 April 2024, during Earth Day. It is a seven-month capacity-acceleration programme to support youth leaders in CVF countries to become active players in decision-making and policy discussions.

This programme responds to the significant gap that persists in youth participation in climate negotiations. While youth participants are granted observer status at the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), they often face barriers that prevent them from participating effectively. From logistical constraints to a lack of access and capacity in negotiations, these challenges underscore the importance of targeted initiatives that will help address this disparity and empower young advocates to be recognised as key stakeholders in shaping climate policies.

Championed and led by the Youth Climate Reality Leaders in the Philippines, the program aims to support the CVF by empowering a new generation of climate negotiators, policy makers, and advocates.

A stringent selection criteria was established to ensure the effectiveness of the programme. Out of nearly 200 applicants, 40 prospective fellows representing 21 CVF member countries have been initially shortlisted. The CVF-V20 Secretariat and the Climate Reality Project Philippines are currently working on resource mobilisation to ensure that young advocates are provided with the knowledge, skills, resources, and platform to engage in decision-making processes, charting forward in building a sustainable and equitable future for all.

As we race against time in this critical decade, initiatives like the CVF Youth Fellowship Program are crucial in empowering the next generation of climate leaders and ensuring that young people’s needs and demands are prioritised and reflected in any climate breakthrough.

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Contact

IKI Office
Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH
Stresemannstraße 69-71

10963 Berlin

iki-office@z-u-g.org

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