Join the growing youth
adaptation movement by
registering at
bit.ly/GCAdaptation-Update
and get in touch with Ms.
Adriana Valenzuela, GCA’s
Youth Leadership & Education
Making Young People Central to the Thematic Lead at
youth@gca.org.
Adaptation Agenda
GCA’s Youth Leadership & Education Program
Climate change impacts The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is a solutions-broker for adaptation action. The
on young people mission of GCA’s Youth Leadership & Education Program is to mobilize the next generation
of adaptation leaders around the world, empowering young people to make the case for
The climate crisis is disproportionately impacting younger adaptation on the global stage and make their communities more climate resilient. The
generations. There are 1,21 billion young people alive today program works through 4 action areas:
who will increasingly face extreme weather events and indirect Building the youth adaptation movement: Connecting and empowering young people
climate impacts on their lives and livelihoods. Newborns to lead a youth adaptation movement and make the case for adaptation.
across the world will face 6,8 times as many heatwaves in
Promoting youth participation in decision-making processes at the international,
their lifetime compared to their elders, and 2,8 times as many
African continental and national levels to drive the adaptation agenda.
river floods.
Delivering adaptation education and capacity-building: Developing training materials
Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities. 87% and educational content as well as scaling up capacity-building to educators and
of young people live in developing countries who will bear teachers for building adaptive capacity in future generations.
the brunt of the climate impacts. Climate change has an Cultivating the leadership of young women to ensure equitable adaptation policy,
acute effect on young women. It is estimated that climate decisions and action.
disruptions will lead to an end to schooling for 12,5 million
girls every year globally.
The growing youth adaptation movement
Including young people in adaptation policies is essential to
ensure equitable and socially just adaptation actions. Yet, The Youth Leadership & Education Program aims to connect and empower young people
many young people, particularly in Africa, face governance to create a climate-resilient future and to feature African youth leadership across the
processes dominated by gerontocracies, posing a major world. In 2022, the Youth Leadership & Education Program organized 17 convenings to
barrier to achieving climate resilient development. bring together young people and other key stakeholders, including youth organizations and
entrepreneurs, governments, and international organizations under the umbrella of the Youth
Preparing young people and future generations to withstand Adaptation Network.
the impacts of climate change is key to creating a climate- 11,000 members from across the world united under the Youth Adaptation Network.
resilient future. Young people are not only victims of
climate change, they are also key agents of change, effective Over 4,200 young people engaged through GCA’s flagship youth consultation process
advocates for adaptation and adaptation solution multipliers. in 2022 including 7 regional Youth Adaptation Forums and the inaugural Youth Dialogue
on Adaptation Action.
2 publications presented key adaptation information for young people: Case studies
on adaptation and climate resilience in schools and educational settings, and Youth
engagement with the Global Goal on Adaptation.
2023 marks an increased focus on enabling young people to
be a solutions multiplier for adaptation action at the national
level. African youth leadership will continue to be showcased Young people championing
across the world, thereby catalyzing more adaptation action.
The following key activities will take place throughout 2023: adaptation in 2023
6 regional Youth Adaptation Forums and the annual Youth The guide ‘Youth Engagement with National Adaptation
Dialogue on Adaptation Action will bring together young Plans’ aims to include young people in the design,
people, governments and international organizations to raise formulation and implementation of national adaptation
global ambition, advance national policies and drive adaptation reports and actions. The guide will present an analysis of
solutions. gaps, needs and recommendations on youth inclusion in
adaptation policies, and identify good practices on youth
participation in adaptation policies at the national, regional,
The CEO’s Youth Advisory Panel provides strategic advice to the and international level.
CEO of GCA, Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, on youth engagement
to drive the adaptation agenda. The panel is composed of young
climate leaders from around the world who are engaged in The capacity-building course for young people on
adaptation action from the local to the globa levell. adaptation & leadership aims to empower young people
to engage in adaptation policy-making and action by
equipping them with the knowledge and skills to do so. In
The panel will present youth fact sheets on GCA’s flagship report 2023, a toolkit for young people on adaptation & leadership
State and Trends in Adaptation, to make adaptation information will be presented.
accessible to young people and showcase good practices of
youth-led adaptation action in Africa.
The second cycle of the Online Executive Training
Building on the outcomes of the 2022 regional Youth Adaptation for Young Women Leadership on Climate Adaptation
Forums and inaugural Youth Dialogue, 2023 will see intensified will empower young women across Africa to unleash
engagement of young people with the Global Goal on Adaptation, their full potential and capabilities to contribute to and
the world’s first collective commitment on adaptation. Key drive adaptation solutions. The project is implemented
activities to shape the adaptation goal include a youth focus group, in collaboration with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global
a communications campaign and a youth submission to UNFCCC. Citizens.
https://gca.org/programs/youth-leadership/
