On the central theme of Youth Driving Ambition, the writers of the Youth4Climate Manifesto called on policymakers to open new avenues to young people and empower them to participate in the process of developing and implementing climate action. In response, the Glasgow Climate Pact included a call “to ensure meaningful youth participation and representation in multilateral, national and local decision-making processes.” Additionally, Italian Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani announced at the COP that the Youth4Climate summit will henceforth be an annual event, giving young people a direct pipeline to the latest climate negotiations.

In particular, the Manifesto called for renewed commitment to elevating, respecting and acting on the voices of indigenous people, women, and the most vulnerable. At COP26, the Improved Marrakech Partnership for Enhancing Ambition incorporated this message into its charter along with a five-year plan emphasizing accountability to stakeholders. A number of countries, including Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, the US, and the UK, made fresh commitments to Gender Action, investing in women’s leadership and initiating a policy of conducting gender breakdowns in all statistical climate analyses moving forward.

Within the Sustainable Recovery theme, the Youth4Climate Manifesto urged all countries to rapidly transition towards renewable energy to reach net zero emissions by 2030. The percentage of the world covered by net zero targets now stands at 90%, up from 30% two years ago, but most of these plans do not meet the ambitious timeline called for in the Manifesto. To help push for increased ambition, The Glasgow Climate Pact sped up the timeline for countries to submit stronger Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), requesting that world leaders “revisit and strengthen” their 2030 targets by COP27 next year.

The Manifesto stressed the role of innovation and technological development in driving the needed changes, a message which 35 world leaders at COP26 took to heart in their accession to the new Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda, which aims to accelerate the development and deployment of clean technologies around the world this decade—all while driving down costs. The Breakthrough Agenda’s primary objectives are making renewable energy structures attractive alternatives in the most population-heavy regions of the world by 2030 and empowering developing countries to take advantage of clean energy.

In line with the Manifesto’s call for collaboration with the private sector on green energy, the Glasgow Financial Alliance has committed over $130 trillion (USD) in private capital to reshaping the global economy. Spanning 45 countries, these commitments will go a long way toward making net zero a reality.

One point youth leaders were very clear on in their text is the need to abandon entirely the exploration and extraction of fossil fuels. Although COP26 did not deliver the ambition asked for by young people on this front, their calls for action did spur some progress in Glasgow. Denmark and Costa Rica launched the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance with countries such as France, Sweden, and Ireland, who all committed to a managed phase-out of oil and gas production within their borders. The UK assembled a coalition of 190 countries committed to the rapid upscaling of green power and the abolishment of coal by the 2030s for major economies and the 2040s for the rest of the world. The Glasgow Climate Pact also marked the first time that a COP decision text has directly referenced the need to move away from coal reliance and fossil fuel subsidies.

In the push toward a sustainable future, the Manifesto was resolute that developed nations must assist developing nations in their implementation of the energy transition. On this front, COP26 saw some big announcements, including the launch of a World Bank trust fund that will mobilize $200 million over the next decade to support the decarbonization of road transport in emerging and developing economies. The UK government’s Urban Climate Action program (UCAP) was also a standout, pledging $27.5 million in funding to support cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America as they pursue net zero.

Accounting for “loss and damage” was key to the youth leaders’ conception of Sustainable Recovery, and COP took some needed steps in this regard. Section VI of the Glasgow Climate Pact empowered the Santiago Network to ramp up its ongoing efforts to address loss and damage worldwide while bolstering resilience to future climate impacts. While COP26 may not have delivered the level of progress hoped for by Youth4Climate delegates, loss and damage became a central topic in the negotiations. In the Pact, countries agreed to start a dialogue in anticipation of COP27, which was viewed by the Alliance of Small Island States as “a key step towards the creation of a loss and damage finance facility.”

The cultivation of nature-based farming practices and climate-smart agriculture is a major priority of the Youth4Climate Manifesto—no surprise, given the extent and impact of our food systems. Responding to this call to action, 45 nations and 95 high-profile companies at COP26 pledged to redouble action and investment toward safeguarding nature and transitioning agriculture to a sustainable model in the years to come. Further, more than 100 countries pledged to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030 with the help of $19 billion in allocated public and private funds.

The vision articulated in the Youth4Climate Manifesto extended beyond governments, stressing the need to engage non-state actors in the building of a green future as well. One key means of facilitating this sort of engagement, wrote the youth delegates, is “promoting and simplifying the processes for equitable global technology transfer,” both among research institutions and between those institutions and private industry. At COP26, the UK-led Breakthrough Agenda, which enlisted 42 nations, aligned itself with this aim, pledging to ramp up the development and rollout of innovative green tech worldwide. And in a dedicated “clean technology development drive,” 35 world leaders committed to increasing their countries’ ambition on both producing green tech and making it more affordable for the average consumer this decade.

It’s no secret that the wasteful “fast fashion” industry is long overdue for a pivot to sustainable practices, and the drafters of the Manifesto demanded the fleshing-out of “guidelines to elaborate … ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly” approaches to clothing production. Rolled out at COP26, the updated UNFCCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, to which 130 companies and 41 supporting organizations are signatories, lays out a plan to source all of the industry’s electricity sustainably by 2030, abandoning coal power for good. It also offers guidelines on the responsible sourcing of raw materials.

A vital and overarching goal of the Manifesto was the cultivation of a climate-conscious society worldwide. Recognizing the deepening impacts of the climate crisis, the document called for the proliferation of knowledge of “the interconnected implications for the environment and nature as a whole,” with special emphasis on addressing biodiversity and embracing nature-based solutions. At COP26, 95 leading UK companies, including Burberry and ITV, committed to a “Nature Positive” approach moving forward, pledging to make sustainability an integral part of their brand identity.

A key component of the push toward broader climate-consciousness outlined in the Manifesto was the empowerment of underrepresented people everywhere to safely share their lived experiences of the climate crisis. To encourage diversity within party delegations, the COP26 Presidency funded the attendance of six female negotiators from underdeveloped countries, and the “Advancing Gender Equality in Climate Action” event on Gender Day at the COP saw numerous countries come forward with fresh pledges to support women and girls in sharing their climate stories. Bolivia, for instance, issued a commitment focused on getting indigenous and Afro-Bolivian women into climate leadership positions, while Belgium committed $58 million to a 5-year Sahel Climate Program focused on the needs of women and girls. Norway also laid out a new initiative to raise the impact of women and girls at both the national and international levels of climate policymaking.

The Conference of Youth (COY) is an entirely youth-led conference organised by YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC. For sixteen years, the outcomes of COY have played a vital role in shaping UNFCCC priorities. This year, COY16 will take place from Oct. 28-31 at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and will be attended by nearly 500 young people and high-level representatives.

The four days of activity will consist of three ceremonies (Opening, Closing, and Gala), six plenaries, and countless sessions and talks on disparate avenues for climate action. Guests can also expect a Green Jobs Fair on Thursday and a climate education summit on Saturday. Last but not least, the COY will feature a dedicated space for the creation of climate-conscious art and an art gallery where such works will be exhibited.

The youth delegates attending the COY will be invited to an exclusive screening of "The Salt in Our Waters," a film from director Rezwan Shahriar Sumit whose narrative centers on climate impacts on fishing communities along the Bangladeshi coast.

The Global Youth Statement is a policy document compiled entirely by youth. Developed over a series of consultative processes with young climate champions from across the world, this statement represents the collective demands and expectations of the youth attending COP26. The document will be finalized at COY16 and travel from there to COP26. It will be translated into all five other UN languages as well, showcasing the inclusivity of the statement.

YOUNGO is hosting a small exhibition space in the Green Zone to showcase the work of young climate leaders around the world.

The World Bank Group will take part in key discussions over the course of the COP and will put on focused events on topics such as green finance, climate-smart agriculture, and energy transition. These events will be live-streamed, so even if you're not attending the COP, you can tune in! Sign up for email reminders and add these events to your calendar now.

"The Climate Crisis Film Festival showcases stunning, diverse, and eye-opening cinema, providing a systemic perspective behind the raw human stories of climate change." Wherever you are in the world, you can tune in for this amazing two-week event: Sign up for the online experience at no cost today! An awards ceremony on the ground in Glasgow on Nov. 12 will signal the wind-down of the festival.

Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this dynamic event will put climate, agriculture, and gender experts in conversation with youth representatives from both policy-level and grassroots backgrounds. From female agriculture experts in training to become UNFCCC negotiators to international youth activists, contributors will share their lived experiences of building resilience towards climate change while working to heal the planet. Interactive elements include a virtual icebreaker using Mentimeter polls and a panelist Q&A.

This event will look back on the YOUNGO initiatives that paved the way to COP26, showcasing meaningful youth engagements and illustrating how to avoid tokenism.

Hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), and Law, Environment and Natural Resources (DAR), this event will highlight the vital role of indigenous peoples and their territories in the development and implementation of government climate commitments towards a green, fair, and resilient recovery from COVID 19. Speakers from COICA will be joined for this special dialogue by indigenous and institutional representatives.

Join Day 3 of the ferry-bound Extreme Hangout program for a special screening of Slater-Jewell Kemker's "Youth Unstoppable," an inspiring documentary on the work young people are doing all over the world to drive climate action and a clarion call to world leaders to heed youth's advice and make decisive policy commitments. Tickets available here.

Join Student Energy for the launch of the inaugural Global Youth Energy Outlook report. Youth are calling for leaders in all sectors to move beyond tokenism and engage with youth through equitable and meaningful partnerships. How can decision-makers work with youth to accelerate climate action and the sustainable energy transition? The Global Youth Energy Outlook presents insights from 30,000+ youth from around the world on what young people envision for their energy future and how they want to work with decision-makers to get there. The GYEO Launch will feature an intergenerational and global lineup of speakers who will outline how the GYEO can be effectively mobilized at the grassroots level, within government institutions, and in the energy sector. Learn more about Student Energy and the Global Youth Energy Outlook here.

In a special event titled "Unifying for Change: The global youth voice at COP26," YOUNGO will present the Global Youth Statement, a document reflecting the cumulative output of the Local, Regional, Virtual and Global Conferences of Youth. This Statement will showcase the positions of global youth on climate action and direct key demands at the policy leaders attending COP26. The event will conclude with a handover of the document from young people to decision-makers.

Led by YOUNGO, "Intergenerational Inquiry: Youth Stepping Up Climate Action" will bring together climate leaders from four generations, inviting them to share their experiences with one another and arrive at insights into how climate action has evolved over time. At the core of the event will be a spirit of mutual learning and a shared commitment to upscaling climate action.

One Young World, the global forum for young leaders, in collaboration with the Future Generations Commission for Wales, is hosting an immersive youth-focused panel on the road to net zero. Join in for a dynamic discussion between expert speakers and young leaders on the future of sustainable development and the essential role young people will play in attaining a net-zero future.

This joint event will convene education ministers, climate ministers, and young people for a discussion of the importance of education in creating climate-positive futures. Ministers will report out on the state of exisiting commitments to climate education and address the work that remains to be done. The UK Department for Education will host this event in partnership with Italy, UNESCO, Youth4Climate and Mock COP. Catch the livestream here!

Italian Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani and COP26 President Designate Alok Sharma will facilitate a discussion on the outcomes of the Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition summit in Milan. Youth representatives and ministers will come together to assess and act on the demands articulated in the Youth4Climate Manifesto.

The New York Times Climate Hub will host a screening of Slater Jewell-Kemker's powerful film "Youth Unstoppable," which charts the rise of the youth climate movement, young champions' actions around the world, and their demands of world leaders. Director Slater Jewell-Kemker herself, a longtime friend and partner of C4C, will be Skyping in after the screening for an exclusive Q&A session.

One Young World, the global forum for young leaders, in collaboration with the British Museum and the Republic of Palau, is hosting an immersive panel discussion on the symbiotic relationship between people and nature, highlighting the importance of amplifying and learning from the voices and work of Indigenous communities when it comes to the safeguarding of our natural world. Featuring speakers hailing from both Arctic and Pacific Island communities, this panel will serve to highlight key learnings in adaptation and resilience from these two unique regions.

Join Hogan Lovells & the Great Green Wall Frontline team on a music-driven cinematic journey along Africa's Great Green Wall. The screening of Jared P. Scott's powerful climate documentary will be followed by a live-streamed panel discussion on how you can get involved in this ambitious movement of growth and renewal, featuring Malian musician and climate activist Inna Modja.

Members of the general public are invited to reserve tickets to this COP26 IMAX screening of Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's "The Salt in Our Waters."

Little Amal, a larger-than-life Syrian refugee girl, will stand at the centre of power at the Blue Zone Gender Day Plenary with delegates from every country represented at COP. She will meet members of the Green New Deal Alliance and tour the Blue Zone to connect with other delegates.

At 13:00, Amal will walk from the Blue Zone across the iconic ‘Squiggly Bridge’ to the banks of the Green Zone with young activists including Luisa Neubauer, KC Shreya, Elizabeth Wathuti and Farzana Faruk as well as actress and activist Katja Reimann. She'll be accompanied by a Soundscape of young leaders' voices collected by Connect4Climate at the Youth4Climate: Drving Ambition summit in Milan.

Then, at 14:00, Good Chance, the producers of the Little Amal project, will discuss migrant justice and climate justice in a special session featuring guests from 350.org, Choose Love, Mishcon de Reya LLP, the Democracy and Culture Foundation, and One Young World's Global Climate Inquiry as well as Youth4Climate leader Elizabeth Wathuti and acclaimed author Onjali Rauf.

In an event put on by Good Chance in partnership with the National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre, and Perth Theatre, Little Amal will walk the banks of the River Clyde alongside over 160 schoolchildren bearing banners with their demands and dreams for a sustainable future. The children will then combine their work to form a collective banner filling a wall at Anderston Quay and will plant seed pods together in a moment of collective and connected action, with each seed representing a young person affected by the climate crisis.

At 13:30, Little Amal will journey through the historic community of Govan accompanied by a ten-metre-high sea goddess puppet called STORM, created by Vision Mechanics from recycled and natural materials.

Finally, Amal will weave through the centre of Glasgow alongside a diverse group of 150 performers, with sound design by Matthew Herbert, movement direction by Nat McCleary and Robby Graham, and costume design by Sabrina Henry.

As the finale of the New York Times Climate Hub, Amal will stand in the centre of Es Devlin’s "Conference of the Trees" installation holding a burnt tree signifying the burning forests she traversed in Turkey and Greece. Young climate activists from around the world will join her at her side.