The COP29 South African Youth Statement

The COP29 South African Youth Statement outlines five main mandates for climate justice, emphasizing human rights, gender equality, and the needs of marginalized communities. It calls for a shift in climate finance toward grants and debt cancellation for the Global South, the integration of renewable energy into the national grid, and the empowerment of youth and community-based organisations in policymaking. The statement specifically highlights environmental injustices in water sanitation, waste management, and the health impacts of coal mining in Mpumalanga, while advocating for agroecological farming and the regulation of AI and the 'fast-fashion' industry.

• The youth call for urgent redress of systemic water and sanitation failures, specifically citing cholera in Hammanskraal and raw sewage issues in the Eastern Cape, Hammanskraal, and Mogale City Municipality.
• Climate change disproportionately affects South African women, who make up 60% to 80% of the agricultural workforce and face severe challenges from water shortages, floods, and droughts.
• There is a demand for accountability and compensation for health costs in Mpumalanga, where coal mining has led to thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis among children and adults.
• Regarding climate finance at COP29, the youth advocate for a transition from debt-dependent loans to public finance and grants, including the consideration of debt cancellation for developing countries.
• The statement calls for a just energy transition that includes modernising the grid, establishing state-owned solar PV and battery production, and retraining workers from extractive industries for the green economy.
• The youth propose a shift toward agroecological practices and food sovereignty, suggesting that methods like aquaponics could increase crop yields by up to 30% compared to traditional farming.
• The document demands the formal recognition of 'climate refugees' in international law and highlights the link between military spending and climate inaction, noting the US spent $6.4 trillion on war over two decades while the cost to shift the US power grid to 100% renewables is estimated at $4.5 trillion.
• To ensure inclusive governance, the youth propose establishing youth councils on climate policies at local, national, and international levels, as well as a nationally-specific Youth Advisory board within the DFFE.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2024). The COP29 South African Youth Statement. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-cop29-south-african-youth-statement/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The COP29 South African Youth Statement. 2024. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-cop29-south-african-youth-statement/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The COP29 South African Youth Statement |date=30 October 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-cop29-south-african-youth-statement/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2024cop29, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The COP29 South African Youth Statement}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-cop29-south-african-youth-statement/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }