The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is partnering with Connect4Climate, the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), and YOUNGO’s Food and Agriculture Working Group  on an all-new youth-led webinar series that will provide a valuable space for intergenerational exchange. Young people and experts on different areas of climate will come to the stage to exchange insights from their respective climate journeys, offer one another guidance and encouragement, and cultivate a sense of global community. The participatory program will empower attendees to take their climate action to the next level and give them the confidence they need heading into this year’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai.

Titled “Make Your Voice Heard on the Path to COP28,” the series, set to launch on October 11, will consist of three interrelated 90-minute episodes:

• “Taking a Seat at the Negotiating Table”

• “Bringing Youth-Led Local Action to the Global Climate Agenda”

•  “Envisioning the COP of Our Dreams”

It will take place shortly before the commencement of COP28, which is set to take place in Dubai, UAE from November 30 until December 12. Episodes will be highly interactive and engaging, with a commitment to ensuring everyone’s voice is heard.

The series will be open to the general public, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to join — register now!

The first episode, “Taking a Seat at the Negotiating Table,” will explore how youth-led initiatives can effectively address sustainable development and other climate action priorities. Specifically, the discussion will look at the priority areas of COP28 — including finance and agrifood — and how young change-makers can make an impact in those fields. This session will feature an illustrious panel of youth climate leaders as well as several high-level speakers, with a focus on intergenerational collaboration. It will conclude with a dynamic Q&A session.

Episode 2, “Bringing Youth-Led Action to the Global Climate Agenda,” will offer a valuable roadmap to taking successful local-scale climate action global. Guests from civil society organizations and successful youth-led grassroots movements will come together to brainstorm strategies for transforming lessons learned from local action into national and international policy proposals — and for getting these proposals through the maze of red tape to be seriously considered by policymakers.

The final episode of the series, “Envisioning the COP of Our Dreams,” will be the most participatory of the three, challenging participants to work together to share their  vision for an ideal COP. This episode won’t shy away from the failings of past COPs — after all, there have been 27 already, and the climate crisis has only deepened year after year. What structural and ideological changes would benefit the existing system? How can the international community come together more effectively to take the high-impact, large-scale climate action we so desperately need? It’s up to you and the other young people attending to collaborate and decide for yourselves!

Taken as a whole, this webinar series will provide a vital runway into COP28, giving young people around the world the motivation, strategies, and sense of community needed to be confident and articulate in their demands come this November’s marquee climate conference. Don’t sit on the sidelines: join the webinar series yourself and help us counteract the climate crisis and promote meaningful youth engagement!