Background
The UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) Asia Pacific, under the auspices of the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP), successfully hosted a virtual Brown Bag session on 29 August 2025. The session brought together youth representatives, Indigenous voices, and climate experts from across the Asia and the Pacific region to reflect on the critical role of young people in advancing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and strengthening climate governance.
About the session
Climate change poses disproportionate risks for young people, especially those from Indigenous and marginalized communities. The event built on previous efforts to include youth in regional and global processes, such as the NAP Regional Technical Workshop in Bangkok and the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meetings, and highlighted practical ways to enhance their participation in NAP formulation, implementation, and monitoring.
Key highlights
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Youth reflections on global climate processes: Speakers from the Philippines and Samoa shared their experiences engaging in intergovernmental spaces such as COP and SB sessions, underlining both the opportunities and challenges faced by youth in these arenas.
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Youth in NAP implementation: Young leaders from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu discussed strategies to involve youth in monitoring, evaluation, and learning of NAPs, as well as in resource mobilization. They also highlighted persistent barriers faced by Indigenous youth, including lack of institutional support and culturally appropriate engagement pathways.
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Interactive knowledge exchange: Through a live Mentimeter activity and Q&A, participants engaged directly with panelists, sharing reflections on strengthening peer-to-peer learning, leadership, and resilience.
Outcomes
The session:
- Strengthened youth awareness of the relevance of NAPs and their role in national climate policies.
- Highlighted evidence-based, youth-informed strategies to enhance inclusive and participatory climate governance.
- Amplified Indigenous youth voices, showcasing their knowledge and priorities for adaptation planning.
- Expanded the youth engagement network across Asia-Pacific to support sustained collaboration.
