Policy Brief No. 26 of 2023-2024 on Enhancing Youth Inclusion and Representation in Climate Action in Africa

Abstract

As the world continues to experience varying dynamics of the climate change crisis, youth exclusion and underrepresentation in significant decisions on climate change has emerged as a concern for three main reasons. Firstly, youth represent a large proportion of the world’s population. Today, young people aged between 10 and 24 years make up 1.8 billion of the world’s population, which represents 16 percent of the global population, while in developing countries they constitute up to 80 per cent of the population (UNDP, 2022). Secondly, this demographic will inherit the effects of climate change caused by actions of past and current generations and, consequently, there are growing calls for meaningful youth engagement (African Youth Climate Assembly Declaration, 2023; UNDP, 2022). Meaningful youth participation in climate action is “making young people a real priority in policies and policy making, recognizing their efforts and impact to date, and promoting and enabling their participation in climate politics. It is also about securing their rightful place in climate governance structures across all levels, and empowering and collaborating with them in the implementation of solutions” (UNDP, 2022:12).