Given the escalating climate crisis, it is crucial to equip our youth with the necessary skills to participate in negotiations, as they will eventually inherit our planet. Coming to an understanding on this matter, the Commonwealth Secretariat recently launched its inaugural youth-focused climate negotiations training, which brought forth 29 young climate advocates and professionals from 21 Commonwealth countries, along with Ukraine and Azerbaijan. This transformative three-day programme was held in London in September 2024.
The government of Australia ardently supported the training, which was designed to equip and prepare a rising generation with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to meaningful global climate diplomacy. Including mock negotiations based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) process, giving the youth participants hands-on experience in negotiation diplomacy, strategy, and policy formulation.
The effort helped show our youth that they will one day be the authors and owners of climate policy, not just its beneficiaries. As one senior facilitator put it, the goal was to ensure that “when we look at climate action, it has to be inclusive. Youth, should be at the table.”
Going far beyond symbolism, the training in London’s carefully articulated mock negotiations helped the youth participants to form blocs, make formal interventions, master the art of negotiating language and also navigate the delicate give-and-take of consensus building. The UNFCCC conference ensured that all necessary elements were addressed in London to help the youth craft statements, build alliances, and drive discussions towards outcomes of justice.
It confirmed that decisions made at international summits would shape finance, adaptation, and mitigation for decades and especially justice for decades. This helped tremendously in preparing youth to understand that contributing meaningfully was not optional but essential. Their engagement on the matter ensured that climate policies were informed by the perspectives of those who would live with their consequences in the future.
After this conference, several delegates joined their national teams at COP 29, in Azerbaijan, where they were involved in interventions, supported negotiations, and so on. These two conferences contributed to a significant outcome in 2025, demonstrating how participants have begun to influence national climate policies in an exceptionally effective manner. With some now serving as youth advisors to ministries of environment and others contributing to national adaptation plans and climate financing proposals, their ability to comprehend negotiation language was a notable change. The UNFCCC structures have allowed them to bridge the gap between local communities and government officials, which ensured that policies are grounded in real needs.
In countries such as Fiji, Kenya, Bangladesh and Ghana, these youth participants have helped shape climate education programmes, developed proposals to access international climate funds, and even led grassroots adaptation projects. Their driven leadership has shown the world proudly that youth are not merely future leaders, but they are also actively shaping decisions made in the present.
Beyond these governmental spaces, participants expanded community projects in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, youth climate literacy and coastal resilience, as well. With their gained experience from the London training, these youth groups have now addressed public forums in confidence and have led numerous initiatives which helped in strengthening vulnerable communities and improving climate awareness. Many participants became mentors by training younger cohorts through negotiation simulations and policy workshops similar to those they received in 2024; by 2025, their efforts had resulted in measurable changes, including improved waste management and youth-led disaster preparedness.
Their leadership demonstrates that the training ignited a lasting movement, reshaping climate governance, influencing policy, and building a more resilient and just future.
