Welcome!
The online consultation on Meaningful Youth Engagement in NDCs 3.0 started on 20 March and closed on 25 April 2025. Organized by the NDC Working Group of YOUNGO, the Official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC, in collaboration with the International Indigenous Youth Forum on Climate Change (IIYFCC), this consultation was hosted on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Youth4Climate Engagement Platform. It provided an inclusive space for children and young people from all backgrounds to share their perspectives. Insights and proposals from the regional discussion rooms below contributed to a summary report (upcoming) and a set of actionable policy recommendations aimed at strengthening youth participation at every stage of the NDC process.
ABOUT THE REGIONAL CONSULTATION
NDCs ( Nationally Determined Contributions) are the heart of the Paris Agreement, shaping how countries commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it clear: ambitious and effective NDCs are essential to tackling the climate crisis. Yet, despite their stake in the future, young people remain largely excluded from shaping these commitments.
The lack of meaningful youth engagement in NDC development, revision, and implementation weakens climate action and overlooks the transformative ideas, innovative solutions, and determination of young people. Youth are not merely stakeholders; they are key drivers of climate action and must be actively involved in shaping national climate strategies.
These virtual regional consultations aimed to bridge the gap by ensuring that youth have a seat at the table. In particular, they aimed to:
- Strengthen children and youth engagement in NDCs – Identify pathways for integrating youth into NDC processes, from design to implementation and monitoring.
- Gathering children and youth perspectives: Collect valuable insights and recommendations from diverse young climate activists on how to strengthen youth engagement in NDCs on national and regional levels.
- Inform policy change: Advocating for the adoption of youth crafted policy recommendations by governments, ensuring NDCs reflect the priorities and solutions proposed by young people.
- Bridging the gap between state actors and non–state actors (especially children and youth): Even though the urgency of engaging non state actors in NDCs is eminent, the state actors have not been able to bring in non state actors, specially children and youth in the NDC s process so far. These consultations will serve as the bridge between state and non-state actors in NDC processes.
What Young People Demand: Insights from the Online Consultation
Youth across 7 regions have spoken!!
Over 700 young people from 90+ countries shared their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for meaningful youth engagement in NDC processes.
Swipe through the PDF below to see the preliminary findings from the consultation.
Learn what NDCs are
If you’re new to NDCs, start by understanding what they are and why they matter. NDCs are national climate action plans submitted by each country under the Paris Agreement. They outline how a country plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate change.
📖 Learn more here👇🏾 :
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs
