Strengthening Youth Participation in Climate-Related Policymaking

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues for a shift from tokenistic youth engagement to meaningful participation in climate-related policymaking across Africa. It emphasizes the need for intersectional approaches, curriculum reform, and the recognition of youth as key stakeholders and implementing partners rather than mere beneficiaries.

• Meaningful youth participation in African climate policymaking is currently hindered by tokenistic 'tick-box' exercises, inaccessible decision-making spaces designed for older working adults, and a failure to distinguish between the different needs of 'younger' youth (15–24) and 'older' youth (25–35).
• African youth climate activism is characterized by an intersectional lens, linking climate change to broader social justice issues such as food security, water management, electricity access, employment, and gender empowerment.
• To improve policy formation, governments should integrate climate agendas into existing structures like youth councils and parliaments, ensure gender-responsive action, and transparently demonstrate how youth input has influenced final decisions.
• Sustainable climate movements in Africa require a shift toward collective action through networks, schools, and civil society organisations rather than relying solely on individual activists.
• Education must evolve beyond providing basic environmental information to include comprehensive curriculum reform from primary to post-secondary levels, integrating climate change across all subjects including social sciences, arts, and mathematics.
• Youth should be repositioned from being passive project beneficiaries to active implementing partners, researchers, and managers of climate policies and plans.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). Strengthening Youth Participation in Climate-Related Policymaking. https://saiia.org.za/research/strengthening-youth-participation-in-climate-related-policymaking/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Strengthening Youth Participation in Climate-Related Policymaking. 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/strengthening-youth-participation-in-climate-related-policymaking/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Strengthening Youth Participation in Climate-Related Policymaking |date=4 December 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/strengthening-youth-participation-in-climate-related-policymaking/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020strengthening, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Strengthening Youth Participation in Climate-Related Policymaking}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/strengthening-youth-participation-in-climate-related-policymaking/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }