Youth Engagement

What

Young people are positive agents of change. Around the world, young leaders and activists are organizing climate campaigns calling for urgent climate action, developing innovations and solutions through entrepreneurship, contributing to government initiatives and research efforts, and practicing sustainable living as models for society and communities. Yet, despite this, are often not included in decision-making or lack the information and resources to engage meaningfully. The NDC Partnership supports ambitious climate and sustainable development agendas and, as such, recognizes the critical role youth play in successful climate action.

Republic of the Marshall Islands Youth Dialogue, 2018

In view of this, the NDC Partnership committed to implementing a Youth Engagement Plan (YEP), developed by a Youth Task Force (YTF) in 2020 that comprised of representatives from Partnership country and institutional members. This page provides a platform for NDC Partnership members and the general public to have access to the resources, tools and best practices surfaced during the youth-led consultations that produced the YEP.

The YEP presents opportunities for increased, meaningful engagement of young people in the NDC Partnership’s work, including a commitment to:

How

Partnership members are encouraged to incorporate relevant actions in their country or organizational context and collaborate across the Partnership to strengthen youth engagement in NDC action. The NDC Partnership Youth Engagement Plan proposes a series of actions to engage meaningfully with youth.

Design youth-inclusive NDC processes at the country level: Youth have a critical role to play across all phases of NDCs, from development and enhancement to implementation. In consultation and planning process around the NDCs at the country level, members are encouraged to establish dedicated capacity and technical expertise to support mainstreaming of youth inputs and priorities and consider a series of actions pertaining to youth engagement.
Support the development of youth-led NDC implementation projects: Members are encouraged to explore ways to improve access to funding for NDC implementation projects of youth and youth- led organizations.
Strengthen climate change capacity building for young people: Capacity development is essential for empowering youth to take action on climate change. Members are encouraged to consider capacity building for young people as a critical component of their climate work. This includes access to tools, guidance and educational resources, as well as regular analysis and knowledge sharing.
Encourage youth participation in global NDC Partnership activities: Youth are positive agents of change; by engaging youth organizations and leading by example, members can ensure youth's inputs are at the heart of the Partnership’s work.

Learn More

Capacity development is essential for empowering youth to take action on climate change. Members are encouraged to consider capacity building for young people as a critical component of their climate work. In addition to the guidelines provided within the YEP, the Support Unit provides a series of resources for members to do this:

Attend the NDC Partnership's annual Youth Engagement Forum (YEF). Learn more about the third annual 2023 Youth Engagement Forum here.
The Youth Engagement Resources Document: key findings and a selection of best practices from consultations with youth representatives and Partnership members are detailed in.
The NDC Partnership Knowledge Portal includes useful resources, tools, good practices, and funding opportunities to help scale NDC action through sharing of knowledge. A new tag related to youth has been integrated in the system so that young people, members, and the general public can more easily find resources related to youth engagement and the NDCs and resources targeting youth audiences.
The Support Unit regularly requests content from members for the Knowledge Portal. These requests will include educational curricula focusing on climate change, case studies that reflect success stories, and lessons learned from youth engagement around NDCs and youth-led or youth-supported NDC implementation projects. Resources meeting the guidelines for the Knowledge Portal will be incorporated by the Support Unit.
The NDC Partnership provides support for members to implement its Youth Engagement Plan, facilitating action by members and tracking progress.
The Partnership supports coordination and facilitation, liaising with members to support in filling gaps in country requests related to youth engagement – including organizing the annual Youth Engagement Forum.

Through its knowledge and learning work, the Partnership conducts periodic data analysis of members and partner activities related to youth in NDC implementation and enhancement, monitoring trends and synthesizing success stories, identifying tools and lessons learned and making them more widely available.