Role of Youth in Combating Climate Change

As part of the PRME Students COP30 Program, this session will explore the critical role youth play in shaping climate solutions, influencing policy, and driving community-based action. Participants will learn how young leaders from the Global South can actively contribute to combating climate change through advocacy, innovation, and collaboration. Speakers will highlight practical pathways for meaningful youth participation at local, national, and international levels, including the PRME network's role in empowering young changemakers.

Speaker: Dr. Sherwat Elwan (PRME Africa & AUC) & Dr. Flávio Hourneaux (PRME Brazil & FIA)

About the PRME Students COP30 Program

The 2025 PRME Students COP30 Programme is a strategically designed, cross-regional initiative aimed at equipping youth around the world with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to actively contribute to global climate action in the lead-up to the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties (COP30), scheduled to take place in Belém, Brazil in 2025.

This initiative, rooted in the principles of equity, collaboration, and youth empowerment, will unfold over a four-month period, from July to October 2025, through an eight-part virtual workshop series. Each session, lasting up to two hours, will provide an in-depth exploration of a core climate-related theme. Each workshop will follow a dual-speaker format, featuring both a professional expert with experience in climate science, policy, or sustainable development, and a youth representative actively engaged in climate action or community-based sustainability work. This format ensures a dynamic exchange of perspectives, combining technical depth with lived experience and youthful innovation. The program aims to build climate literacy, amplify youth voices, and foster interregional collaboration across the Global South in preparation for meaningful youth engagement at the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties (COP30).