Speakers at a roundtable have called for empowering young people to play a leading role in national and international climate governance, stressing that Bangladesh’s future resilience depends on youth-led innovation, participation, and advocacy.
The event, titled “Youth Participation in the National and Global Climate Policy Process” and themed “Empowering Youth Voices in Climate Governance: From Local Action to Global Influence,” was held on Wednesday. It was organized by Brighters Foundation Bangladesh in partnership with the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LOGIC) of UNDP Bangladesh.
Policymakers, journalists, climate activists, and representatives from UN agencies joined the discussion, exploring ways to ensure meaningful youth engagement in climate policymaking.
Speakers noted that while Bangladeshi youth have been active in grassroots climate action—through awareness campaigns, adaptation projects, and community initiatives—their participation in formal policy processes remains limited.
They said that despite frameworks such as the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) referencing youth inclusion, there are still no structured mechanisms for their involvement in decision-making.
Saidur Rahman, founder and director of Brighters Foundation, observed that young people’s engagement in social and development work has grown significantly since 2019 but lamented the lack of institutional reform.
“Although the appointment of a young adviser in the interim government initially gave us hope, that hope has since turned into frustration,” he said, citing limited progress in the Department of Youth Development.
Ukhing Chak, head of strategic partnership at Green Milieu, said youth in other countries can participate more effectively in climate policy discussions due to fewer institutional and social barriers.
Valentina Spinadi, climate and progress specialist at UNICEF Bangladesh, described the climate crisis as both a youth challenge and an opportunity to “innovate, reform systems, and strengthen governance.” She stressed that “the media has a crucial responsibility to give visibility to thousands of youth-led initiatives across the country.”
Sousan Suha, youth engagement analyst at UNDP Bangladesh, announced that UNDP and the government have launched a new platform—the Youth Voice Mechanism—to help young people share their perspectives directly with policymakers.
Mostafizur Rahman, senior program officer (Climate and Environment) at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh, said sustained youth engagement and financial innovation are key to achieving long-term climate resilience, adding that “empowering young minds today means securing a sustainable tomorrow.”
Speaking as chief guest, AKM Sohel, Wing Chief (United Nations) at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), called for institutionalizing youth participation in climate governance.
He proposed that each senior negotiator representing Bangladesh at future COP summits include a young assistant to promote intergenerational learning and capacity building.
Sohel also announced plans to introduce a national climate debate competition for students and explore venture capital support for youth-led innovation in adaptation and mitigation.
“One champion cannot reduce Bangladesh’s vulnerability—we need many champions,” he said, urging youth to take the lead in global climate advocacy.
