Levelling the playing field: Strengthen Youth Skills for Climate Action

The importance of equipping young people with skills and ability to respond to challenges that stand in the way of sustainable development.

July 15, 2024
a group of people posing for a photo

Delegates and youth participants at the COP28 Youth Aspirations Dialogue

YELL

Written by: Anusha Rym, YELL Communications Officer and Leo Shu Min, Youth-Environment Community Facilitator
 


Youth participation in climate and environmental action has been fundamental to realising their right to inhabit a safe, clean, and sustainable environment. Though some may view children and young people as individuals requiring protection rather than as independent rights-holders, we can no longer ignore young people as a force for change. With the steady growth of Malaysia’s green economy and the push to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, support must be given to young people to build skills for themselves to effectively act on climate and environmental issues.

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Youth participation in climate and environmental action has been fundamental to realising their right to inhabit a safe, clean, and sustainable environment

YELL

This World Youth Skills Day, we recognise the importance of equipping young people with skills and ability to respond to challenges that stand in the way of sustainable development. The theme ‘Youth Skills for Peace and Development’ this year highlights the need for skills to foster a culture of peace, nurture responsible global citizens, and promote sustainable development. Encouraging environmental citizenship among youth is essential for enhancing understanding of environmental issues, shaping attitudes towards climate-friendly decisions, and promoting participatory decision-making.

The Change for Climate Report (2020) by UNDP and UNICEF, supported by EcoKnights, found that young people with a stronger self-reported understanding of climate change are more likely to take action. This shows that building skills and knowledge about climate issues are important to encourage positive behaviour changes and inspire effective action.

Drawing from the framework used in various capacity-building workshops by the Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL), young people will benefit from developing the following skills:

1.    Advocacy & Communication: The ability to effectively communicate solutions and advocacy campaigns is crucial to meaningful participation and sustaining a strong youth-led movement. As advocacy initiatives often begin from addressing issues within local communities, young people need to equip themselves with fundamental advocacy and communication skills to strengthen their capacity in driving change.

2.    Climate & environmental literacy: As the Malay proverb goes, “Tak kenal, maka tak cinta” (We can't love what we don't know), awareness in local climate and environmental issues is the first step in activating youth action. Young people must know how to apply environmental knowledge learned in formal education to real-life situations. Thus, empowering educators is key to producing a generation of climate-conscious youth.

3.    Environmental rights: A clean and healthy environment is not a privilege, but a basic human right. To defend their right to a sustainable future, young people must be equipped with the knowledge of environmental justice and rights. This is particularly applicable to those who are most at risk, such as children, women and girls, and the Orang Asal.

4.    Legal & policy processes: Engaging with complex legal and policy processes will seem intimidating to young people who often have little to no platform to voice their thoughts. Therefore, an understanding of laws and policies that affect the issue at hand, as well as their rights, will ultimately improve youth participation. Additionally, child and youth-friendly spaces must be created to meaningfully engage and empower their participation in policymaking, decision-making and environmental actions at all levels.

5.    Networking & collaboration: Working in silos will not lead to effective problem-solving mechanisms nor productive outcomes. Developing networking and collaboration skills can empower young people to tap into opportunities they might not discover on their own, connect with individuals who can provide advice or new perspectives, and engage with others who possess valuable skills. Through these diverse resources, young people can gain the right knowledge, develop practical skills, and build a strong support system in their climate action efforts.

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Leo Shu Min, Youth Environment Living Lab (YELL) Community Facilitator speaking at the COP28 Youth Aspirations Dialogue

YELL

YELL has developed programmes that aim to build skills and capacity that shape behaviours and mindsets, preparing young people for careers in conservation and related fields. As an example, the YELL Conservocation Programme is a six-month work experience programme that provides opportunities for young people to gain hands-on experience in green jobs. In 2023, the pilot Conservocation Programme successfully partnered with 7 environmental organisations to host the work experience programme for 7 young people. 

YELL also provides opportunities for evidence-based and data-driven citizen science projects that aim to eventually inform policy- and decision-making through our annual Seed Grant as part of the YELL Exploraction Programme. Additionally, the yell.my website is equipped with resources and toolkits based on local contexts to support young people in their climate action journey.

a group of people sitting in front of a sign

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) announced the formation of the Climate Change Consultative Panel which included several youth representatives.

YELL

All that said, we applaud recent development in terms of youth inclusion in formal decision-making at the national level. In September 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) announced the formation of the Climate Change Consultative Panel which included several youth representatives. More recently, the NRES Minister, YB Nik Nazmi also noted the first meeting of the NRES Youth Cluster on June 7, 2024. The formation of these groups recognises young people as stakeholders and provides a formal platform for their participation in the Ministry’s policy-making process. 

Ultimately, access to knowledge, skills and financial resources is just as crucial as establishing institutionalised mechanisms for youth participation for them to be effective policy actors.