Youth Climate Advocacy

The report examines youth climate advocacy in Africa, highlighting the role of civil society, government policies, and the challenges of the digital divide. It argues for a shift from tokenistic inclusion to meaningful participation, where youth are recognized as active agents of change in policymaking and implementation.

• Youth in Africa are frequently excluded from formal climate policy and decision-making processes, with existing attempts at inclusion often being "tokenistic" and failing to provide the time or resources necessary for substantive contribution.
• A global review of 160 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and 13 National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) found that only approximately 42% of NDCs directly reference 'children' or 'youth', and only 12 NDCs position youth as 'agents of change'.
• Youth climate advocacy in Africa is increasingly organized through multi-level networks—local, national, regional, and global—which help amplify voices and coordinate action, such as the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) and the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition (NYCC).
• Social media and virtual platforms have become critical tools for youth to bypass logistical barriers and coordinate global movements like #FridaysForFuture, though a significant 'digital divide' persists due to lack of electricity and internet access for millions of Africans.
• There is a growing trend of using legal frameworks to hold governments accountable for climate inaction, exemplified by a landmark complaint filed by 16 young people to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
• Effective capacity building for youth must move beyond simple information sharing to include leadership training, practical project implementation, and technical skills for engaging in complex negotiations like the UNFCCC COP processes.
• Meaningful youth inclusion in official COP delegations is increasing, with some countries providing 'Party' badges and negotiation training, though many youth still rely on international NGOs for funding and accreditation.
• The report identifies a need for a conceptual shift where young people are viewed as competent decision-makers and active citizens rather than merely a 'vulnerable' demographic.

APA

BENKENSTEIN, A., CHEVALLIER, R., KOSCIULEK, D., LEBEA, D., & WORTH, K. (2020). Youth Climate Advocacy. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Special-Report-benkenstein-et-al-002.pdf

Chicago

BENKENSTEIN, ALEX, ROMY CHEVALLIER, DESIRÉE KOSCIULEK, DITEBOGO LEBEA, and KIARA WORTH. Youth Climate Advocacy. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2020. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Special-Report-benkenstein-et-al-002.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BENKENSTEIN |first1=ALEX |last2=CHEVALLIER |first2=ROMY |last3=KOSCIULEK |first3=DESIRÉE |last4=LEBEA |first4=DITEBOGO |last5=WORTH |first5=KIARA |title=Youth Climate Advocacy |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Special-Report-benkenstein-et-al-002.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benkenstein2020youth, author = {BENKENSTEIN, ALEX and CHEVALLIER, ROMY and KOSCIULEK, DESIRÉE and LEBEA, DITEBOGO and WORTH, KIARA}, title = {{Youth Climate Advocacy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Special-Report-benkenstein-et-al-002.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }