The Youth Climate Movement, also called YouNGO or the International Youth Climate Movement (IYCM), is a global group of youth organizations. These groups work together to encourage, support, and organize young people to take action to help address climate change.
Organisation
Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, young people have taken part in international discussions about environmental and sustainable development issues. In 1996, the European Youth Forum was formed, and in 2001, the U.S. group SustainUS was created. These youth-led organizations began sending groups of young people to join global talks, mainly through the United Nations. Young individuals had already been involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As youth organizations became more active in these negotiations, they started to see the UN climate talks as a new place to increase youth involvement.
From November 28 to December 9, 2005, the United Nations Climate Change Convention (COP 11 or COP/MOP 1) was held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Youth groups from countries like the United States (through SustainUS), Canada, and Australia attended to speak for young people. This event led to the idea of the International Youth Climate Movement, though it was first called the International Youth Delegation, referring to the young people at the climate talks.
In September 2006, the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition was started, including 48 youth groups from across Canada. Soon after, in November 2006, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition was formed, made up of 27 youth groups from Australia.
In March 2008, the Indian Youth Climate Network joined the Global Youth Climate Movement. In June 2008, Emma Biermann and Casper ter Kuile, who were ambassadors for the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Voyage for the Future program, created the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC) after returning from the Arctic and seeing the effects of climate change. Later, coalitions in Africa, China, Japan, Pacific Islands, and South Asia were formed with the same goal as the International Youth Climate Movement.
Around the world, youth groups have created coalitions to take action on climate change, such as the UK Youth Climate Coalition, which is led entirely by young people. Each coalition or network is connected to a regional or continental movement. These movements include the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change; Caribbean Youth Environmental Network; European Youth Climate Movement; Project Survival Pacific; Nordic Youth Climate Action Movement; North East Asia Youth Environmental Network; the South American Youth Climate Coalition; and the South Asia Youth Environment Network. These local, national, and continental groups work together to form the International Youth Climate Movement.
The International Youth Climate Movement is a term used to describe the groups of young people working globally on climate issues. It is managed by teams of volunteers who organize themselves into working groups and form the main parts of the movement. A group called the "Bottomlining Team" helps coordinate efforts, especially during international climate talks.
The movement is funded by contributions from its member groups, as well as occasional support from organizations like UNICEF and the government of the Netherlands.
National members of the Youth Climate Movement include: the AYLCF Climate Action Network (France); Australian Youth Climate Coalition; Canadian Youth Climate Coalition; Arab Youth Climate Movement; China Youth Climate Action Network; ECO Singapore; Energy Action Coalition (U.S.A.), led by SustainUS; Project Survival Pacific; Ghana National Youth Coalition on Climate Change; Hong Kong Climate Change Coalition; Indian Youth Climate Network; Japan Youth Ecology League; Malaysian Youth Climate Justice Network; Nature and Youth Denmark; New Zealand Youth Delegation; Nigerian Youth Green Coalition on Climate Change; Russian Youth Climate Movement; Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition; Bangladesh Youth Movement for Climate (BYMC); Young Friends of the Earth; World Alliance of YMCAs; World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts; World Organisation of the Scout Movement; Malaysia Youth Delegation (MYD) (archived 2019-11-05 at the Wayback Machine); and the UK Youth Climate Coalition.
Campaigns
Alongside the national efforts by domestic coalitions and networks, such as the Power Shift conferences, the International Youth also organize their own global campaigns, led by a group of young volunteers.
The first Conference of Youth (COY) was held in 2005 in Montreal, Canada, just before the Eleventh Conference of Parties. The event brings together young people to share resources, receive training, connect with others, and discuss issues together. It also allows the youth climate movement to plan their activities during the negotiations and the following year.
The fifth Conference of Youth took place at the University of Copenhagen from December 4–6, 2009, where more than 700 young people from 100 countries attended. The sixth Conference of Youth was held at the Universidad del Caribe in preparation for the Cancun climate negotiations.
The two- or three-day event happens every year and is planned to take place shortly before the United Nations Conference of Parties, where countries meet to review progress in climate negotiations.
Since 2005, each domestic coalition or network in the Youth Climate Movement has sent a group of young people to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) to represent youth in their country.
In June 2009, youth organizations involved in the United Nations climate change negotiations submitted a request to become a constituency. In August 2009, the request was temporarily approved by the climate change Secretariat, making youth the 7th group to join the climate negotiations. The official name for youth participation in the negotiations is "YOUNGO." The first key representatives for YOUNGO were Wilson Ang (Singapore), supported by SustainUS, and Lina Li (China), supported by 350.org, who officially represented the International Youth Climate Movement despite the temporary approval until 2011.
Currently, the key representatives for the International Youth Climate Movement are Lauren Nutter (U.S.A.), supported by SustainUS, and Jean Paul Brice Affana (Cameroon), supported by Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement. They follow the 2010–2011 representatives: Sébastien Duyck (France), supported by Service Civil International, and Rishikesh Ram Bhandary (Nepal), supported by SustainUS.
Throughout the year, members of the International Youth Climate Movement have other chances to meet. For example, at the International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change in Beijing, China.
In 2021, a group within the organization focused on health called for the inclusion of youth climate activists in recovery efforts after the COVID-19 pandemic, as the pandemic may be connected to climate change.
In 2009, the UK Youth Climate Coalition worked with the Youth Movement, especially the European Youth Climate Movement and SustainUS, to start the "How old will you be in 2050?" campaign during the United Nations Climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany. The slogan has been used by the Youth Movement since then and was also the focus of the International Youth "Young and Future Generations Day" in December 2009. The campaign aims to highlight the need to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, as young people will inherit the world and today’s decisions will directly affect their lives in 40 years.
In 2022, a group of scientists published a report titled "Stockholm+50: Unlocking a Better Future," which examined the impact of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 and provided recommendations for the future. The main message is to "redefine the relationship between humans and nature, achieve lasting prosperity for all, and invest in a better future." Additionally, young researchers created a youth version of the report: "Charting a Youth Vision for a Just and Sustainable Future." The key messages include: "Health and well-being, community support, living in harmony with nature, global unity, and a world where all people are equal." The Youth Climate Movement (YOUNGO) and some of its members helped create the report.