LCOY Pakistan: Empowering Youth for Climate Action

by Jehangir Ashraf

November 15, 2024

In the world of development, conferences on climate change aren’t exactly new. Typically, they feature senior government officials, technical experts, top academics, researchers, and private sector representatives. But what if we flipped the script: what if, instead, the youth took the reins on climate change? What if young people led every panel, organized every activity, and shaped the agenda entirely?

This is exactly what happens at the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY).

What is LCOY?

A national offshoot of the international Conference of Youth (COY), LCOY events host young climate activists, students, and entrepreneurs for insightful discussions around climate action and policymaking, ahead of the Conference of Parties (COP). It is an event organized under the umbrella of YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

This year, LCOYs were held in 115 countries, and for the second time, Pakistan was one of them.

Why does it matter?

With over 64% of Pakistan’s population under the age of 30, the country is one of the youngest in the world. At the same time, it ranks among the top ten nations most affected by climate change. This makes young people – particularly women and marginalized communities – the most vulnerable to climate risks but also the most crucial drivers of climate action.

To mitigate climate impacts and ensure long-term sustainability, it is, therefore, critical to offer them platforms that amplify their voices and represent them at all levels of global climate discussions – which is exactly what LCOY seeks to accomplish.

What happened at LCOY Pakistan?

Held on November 2-3 in Islamabad, this year’s National LCOY brought in over 1,000 young people from all over Pakistan for an inclusive, participative event on climate change. With support from British Council, Islamic Relief, YECAP, Movers, and GIZ, the conference included a variety of interactive sessions and activities designed to inspire, engage, and educate.

Nine youth-led entities – Skynok, Skillistan, DigiLite Global, NextGen Sustainability Hub, Pak Mission Society, VGreenO, Taqalum, Movers, and YECAP (Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform) – were awarded the mandate by YOUNGO to conduct LCOY in Pakistan.

This year, the LCOY Pakistan organizers did something that none of the other 114 countries did: they organized an LCOY in each province – all women-led – to make sure that voices from every corner of the country were heard and fed into the National LCOY in the federal capital. Given how climate change deepens existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting women and children, it is essential that such platforms are inclusive, representative, and balanced.

This type of grassroots engagement, led by youth organizations with little in the way of experience or funding, is truly inspirational. It also underscores the power of youth-driven change, proving that even with minimal support, young leaders can create impactful, inclusive platforms for climate action.

“There is no doubt that certain groups of people are more marginalized than others in terms of climate impacts,” said Ms. Ameera Adil, a panelist on climate justice. “Women are more affected than men, but even then, an intersectional approach is best to take, as different identities of people overlap to expose them to varying levels of marginalization.”

What was the outcome of LCOY Pakistan?

First and foremost, LCOY 2024 highlighted the need for greater grassroots engagement in climate action, as well as the strengthening of mechanisms to make youth voices heard at the policy level. It served as an important reminder that for young people, climate change is not just a series of extreme weather events – it is a matter of survival. The event culminated in a unanimous ask from the government and decision makers at all levels to step up to this existential challenge and seize the opportunity for course correction to ensure immediate, systematic, and radical action for climate justice.

Secondly, with more than 50 percent women participants, women-led panels, and vibrant discussions on the gender and climate nexus, LCOY Pakistan served as a platform for women and marginalized groups from rural areas to share their grievances, fears, and hopes. The National Youth Statement, which is the primary output of LCOY and is highlighted in COY, incorporated these diverse voices to ensure that no one is left behind.

LCOY Pakistan 2024’s success exemplifies how young voices can energize and shape the climate conversation, showing the world that they’re not just the leaders of tomorrow—they’re the change-makers of today. As some of these delegates made their way to Baku for COY19 and COP29, they carried with them the collective voices of young Pakistanis, ready to contribute to the global climate agenda.