Capacity-Building
At Y4N, we aim to grow the capacity of youth to both advocate for climate solutions rooted in nature and justice and to be involved in their planning and implementation locally. Through global youth delegations and on-the-ground programs and support, we help to equip young leaders with the skills and resources they need to make change.
Due to COVID-19, much of our capacity-building work throughout 2020 and 2021 has focused internally - on the capacity of the staff and volunteer teams leading and supporting our diverse and dynamic projects. Looking ahead, plans are in development for more initiatives to bring externally, to our community and youth across the world. More on this, coming soon!
INUKA
INUKA is Y4N’s for-youth by-youth Nature-based Solutions (|NbS) accelerator pilot project. It supports youth working in tangible restoration projects with knowledge, skills, networks, and funding to effectively implement and scale their projects. INUKA leverages experiential learning to foster restoration stewardship among youth across key landscapes and ecosystems in Kenya.
Learn more about our Global Youth Delegations:
YOUTH shaping our tomorrow
Our 9-person global youth delegation is heading to Dubai for COY18 & COP28. We are ready to make waves, weave connections and ideas, and witness the joy, hope & determination of changemakers like us. Find us 📣 amplifying youth messages and solutions, 🦾 strengthening youth capacity, and 🌱 fostering inclusivity by nurturing our community with other youth and allies.
Y4N goes to COP15
Representatives from 196 national governments gathered in Montreal, Canada, from December 7-19, 2022, at “COP15” to advance the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD), as well as the Convention’s Gender Plan of Action (GPA) and related Targets that will help the globe strengthen inclusive conservation.
Youth4Nature supported four youth delegates to attend COP15, where we advocated for meaningful youth inclusion, rights-based approaches, and explicit connections between nature and climate. Our three messages were:
No action with nature, youth, or justice
We won’t back down, we will be at the table, and we’re stronger together
No co-option, no false solutions
Youth4Nature takes on COP26: THE FUTURE IS NOW
The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) took place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. It was the first COP where nature had an entire day, and where biodiversity was at the centre.
We were proud to grow the skills and support a 24-person hybrid, global youth delegation, with 12 team members attending events in-person in Glasgow, and another 12 folks contributing and collaborating digitally from around the world.
OUR FUTURE STARTED IN NEW YORK
On September 23rd, 2019, the Secretary-General of the United Nations hosted the Climate Action Summit in New York. With one Summit track focused on Nature-based Solutions, and another on Youth and Mobilization, this was a perfect fit for our team.
Youth4Nature hosted a delegation of 12 international youth representing all 5 UN Regional Groups to the Climate Action Summit, where we shared our stories and mobilized our network to help kick-start a youth-led movement that is planning, implementing, and advocating for Nature-based Solutions.
We Can. We Will. Youth Can. Youth Will
Y4N’s first global youth delegation was to New York Climate Week in 2019, and we are so thrilled to be heading back to the 🗽 Big Apple for more during New York Climate Week 2023!
Happening from 17-24 September, we are ready to make waves by promoting youth representation, strengthening youth capacity, and fostering inclusivity & community, all (of course) while ensuring nature is meaningfully part of the climate conversation!
What did we bring to cop27?
From November 6-18th, 2022, Egypt hosted the 27th UN Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh on climate change. As a youth organization advocating for nature and for climate justice we sent a delegation of nine youth to attend COP27 with a view to building on previous successes and paving the way for future.
Youth4Nature takes on COP25
The 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) took place in Madrid, Spain from December 2nd to December 13th, 2019. As expected, the role of nature and the leadership of young people were emphasized in many panels, side-events, and negotiation tables.
With a delegation of nine youth leaders from across the world, Youth4Nature contributed to critical work done at COP25. Our mission? To ensure that youth are able to co-design their own future with nature; there is no 1.5°C without youth, there is no 1.5°C without nature.
