Young people from across Jordan mobilize to take climate action during the Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY)

Amman - In the presence of HRH Princess Aisha Bint Feisal, HRH Princess Sara Bint Feisal, and His Excellency the Minister of Youth Muhammad Al-Nabulsi, the Ministry of Youth concluded the two-day Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) concluded today, hosted in partnership with UNICEF, Generations For Peace and Nahno, and supported by Bank al Etihad and KOICA.

The youth-led event concluded with a clear call from young people in Jordan ahead of the annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt next month for immediate and effective climate action to protect the most vulnerable communities, provide greater resources for youth-led green initiatives and prioritize the participation of children, adolescents and youth in the response.

LCOY Jordan takes place under the banner of “YOUNGO”, the official youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It provided a platform for 100 adolescents and youth from all governorates in Jordan to participate in discussions, interactive sessions and workshops with experts on youth climate activism and policy formation. The Minister of the Environment attended the first day of the conference, encouraging the youth participating to find solutions to the climate crisis in Jordan.  A set of recommendations developed by youth over the two days will be delivered to the Ministries of Environment and Youth and presented by the youth at COP27.

His Excellency the Minister of Youth Muhammad Al-Nabulsi noted that hosting of the LCOY and the launch of Sawn by the Ministry of Youth comes as a response to royal directives promoting youth participation in decision-making, especially in the response to climate action. “You are the generation most affected by the future impacts of climate change and you are also best equipped to be part of the response with your innovative solutions and environmental initiatives that can help mitigate and respond to the effects of climate change.”

“Climate change impacts everyone but the future belongs to young people,” said Shairose Mawji, Acting Representative, UNICEF Jordan. “It is really inspiring to see young people becoming leaders for positive change in their communities and nationally. Their message is loud and clear – the world must act now to prevent catastrophic climate disaster and to protect and prioritize children, adolescents and youth in the response.”

Dr Mohanned Arabiat, President of GFP, said, "We believe that young people are the main players who can impact climate issues, they are the generation that is at risk of being most affected by the consequences of climate change, but they are also the generation that is most capable of preserving the planet."

At the closing ceremony of LCOY,  a new climate youth leadership programme was launched. Sawn (‘to protect/preserve’ in Arabic) will provide 36 adolescent and youth from all governorates in Jordan with the training and skills they need to lead climate action locally and globally and to become powerful advocates for building a more sustainable future in a climate-changed world.

Each youth climate leader will also train additional young people from their governorates to implement local initiatives that will urgently build their communities’ resilience to the negative impacts of climate change. This is particularly important in Jordan where the expected rising temperatures and reduced rainfall will exacerbate existing water scarcity issues and put children most at risk. A number of the youth climate leaders were also selected to join the official delegation of Jordan to attend COP27.