Young people are increasingly recognised as vital agents of change in advancing climate action. This means including them in climate-policy decision-making and implementation. However, many young people - particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other climate-vulnerable countries - continue to face barriers such as limited access to climate finance, insufficient green skills, and exclusion from decision-making processes.
As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, in November draws near, the Commonwealth Secretariat is turning the spotlight on climate finance and young people.
In 2023, the Commonwealth Youth Ministers' Meeting (10CYMM) recognised that the success of achieving climate goals depends heavily on equipping our younger generations with the skills and tools they need to tackle the climate crisis.
Without targeted capacity-building, young people's participation in these inclusive process could be hindered by their ability to design, implement, and sustain impactful climate projects. The transition to a green economy offers enormous potential for youth employment and entrepreneurship, but only if young people are equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and skills to participate effectively.
The session will lean on the expertise of Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub advisers to demonstrate how youth-led access to finance can unlock opportunities in the renewable energy revolution, sustainable agriculture, ecosystem restoration, e-mobility, and other green-growth sectors.
Objectives
- Increase climate finance literacy among young people, including understanding public and private sources, financial instruments, and the global climate finance architecture
- Equip youth with practical tools for project concept design, including problem analysis and theory-of-change approaches
- Strengthen links between climate finance and green jobs, highlighting how youth-led projects can drive employment, entrepreneurship, and skills development in green sectors
- Highlight successful youth-led projects and identify lessons that can be replicated or scaled
Participants and guests
- Young climate leaders from Commonwealth member states
- Members of the Commonwealth Youth Climate Network (CYCN), The Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition (CSET) Agenda Youth, Commonwealth Youth Gender Equality Network (CYGEN), Commonwealth Blue Charter Ocean Youth Working Group and YOUNGO among others
- Youth from SIDS, LDCs, and other Commonwealth member countries seeking access to climate finance
Speakers include
- Suresh Yadav, Director, Climate Change and Oceans Directorate (CCO), Commonwealth Secretariat
- Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Interim Head and Adviser, Climate Section, Commonwealth Secretariat
- Dr Deepa Pullanikkatil, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser, Eswatini
- Aurelius Nkonde, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser, Seychelles
- Dr Nancy Umolo, Commonwealth Gender & Climate Finance Adviser
- Sushil Ram, Adviser, Youth, Social Policy Development Section, Commonwealth Secretariat
- Emmana Jeffers, National Advisor, Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) Dominica Chapter
- Moderated by Lucia Ene-Lesikar, Chairperson, Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN)
For more information, contact: [email protected]
