Youth leadership for climate justice: Placing Young People at the Centre of COP31 Outcomes
WeWorld at COP31 in Antalya: Our Advocacy Priorities
Climate change is also a matter of social and intergenerational justice. For this reason, WeWorld calls on COP31 to place young generations at the heart of climate action by ensuring a just, inclusive, and rights-based transition. Our recommendations are grounded in WeWorld’s experience, dialogue with young activists involved through the WeWorld Academy platform, and the findings of our research conducted in Kenya on youth leadership in climate adaptation: Youth Leadership in Climate Change Adaptation: Bridging the Gap Between Policy Commitments and Local Action. Lessons from the Dialogue Between Kenyan and European Youth.
1. From Participation to Decision-Making Power
Young people must be recognised as key actors in climate action, not merely observers. We call for structured and permanent mechanisms for youth participation in climate negotiations and climate governance, with meaningful representation and real influence over decision-making, resource allocation, and the evaluation of outcomes. Transparency, accountability, and the protection of youth activism are essential conditions for effective and inclusive climate governance.
2. More Funding for Youth-Led Climate Action
Climate finance must be accessible, predictable, primarily grant-based or provided through highly concessional financing that does not create debt burdens or dependencies, and responsive to the needs of communities most affected by the climate crisis. We call for a significant share of climate finance to directly support young people, youth organisations, and youth-led initiatives by simplifying access to funding and investing in education, participation, green skills, and the resilience of children and young people.
3. A Just Transition That Leaves No One Behind
Climate policies must recognise that young people are not a homogeneous group. Gender, age, disability, socioeconomic status, migration background, and place of origin shape exposure to climate impacts in different ways. We call for a rights-based and intersectional approach that integrates intergenerational equity, social protection, and the participation of the most vulnerable groups in the decision-making processes of the ecological transition.
4. Prioritising Agroecology and Nature-Based Solutions
Agroecology offers a concrete response to the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening resilience, food security, biodiversity, and economic opportunities for young people. We call on COP31 to recognise and support agroecology as a priority approach within agricultural and climate policies, directing public finance, investments, and adaptation programmes towards sustainable food systems that are community-led and accessible to young generations.
5. Recognising Young People as Genuine Ambassadors of Multilateralism and Cooperation
In the face of a climate crisis that knows no borders, multilateralism is not an option but a necessity. Young people are already demonstrating this every day by building bridges across countries, cultures, and communities, promoting dialogue, and developing solutions that connect local needs with global responsibilities. WeWorld therefore calls for the recognition and support of young generations as authentic champions of multilateralism and key actors in a more inclusive, equitable, and people-centred international cooperation system. To make this role effective, it is essential to guarantee access to climate education, international exchange and cooperation opportunities, and leadership and participation programmes, while removing the economic, administrative, and bureaucratic barriers that limit youth engagement.
Key Message
For WeWorld, a successful COP31 is one that transfers power, resources, and decision-making space to young generations; increases investments in climate and social justice; accelerates the phase-out of fossil fuels in favour of readily available renewable energy solutions; strengthens action on adaptation and resilience with particular attention to the communities most at risk; and advances a just ecological transition grounded in participation, equity, agroecology, and nature-based solutions.
We expect concrete steps and tangible actions capable of turning commitments into implementation. In this regard, we welcome the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge as an important initiative to accelerate electrification efforts, provided that this process is driven by clean energy sources and carried out in a manner that respects natural resources and environmental sustainability.