Empowering Youth for Climate Action: Youth Climate Summit 2024 – SEA

Youth power is vital in climate summits, as young people bring fresh perspectives, innovative solutions, and a sense of urgency to the global climate crisis. Their active participation ensures that the voices of future generations are heard, driving more ambitious and equitable climate actions.

The Penang government, through the Penang Green Council (PGC), will take a youth focused approach to its climate change initiatives with an upcoming summit this year. The Youth Climate Summit 2024 – SEA (YCS) is a five-day program that will be held from October 14 to 18 at the University of Wollongong (UOW) George Town campus. It is designed to bring together, engage, connect, and empower young individuals aged 15-25 from Southeast Asia to take meaningful action on climate change. With the theme, “Empowering Action for Nature,” this summit aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective climate leaders while encouraging them to create and implement Climate Action Plans in their schools and communities.

The objectives of the summit are to increase awareness of the impact of climate change and the pivotal role of youth in addressing environmental challenges, to provide a platform for education on sustainable practices and climate action, and to foster collaboration among youth organisations, community leaders, and environmental experts in developing effective climate solutions.

The YCS programme is sponsored by Think City Sdn Bhd, and it was initiated by The Wild Center in 2009, according to PGC General Manager, Josephine Tan Mei Ling. Tan further added that the event organising will involve not only PGC, but also PowerSains, Think City, UOW Malaysia, State Education Department, WorldFish, Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, Tropical Spice Garden, Water Watch Penang, Green Educators’ Workgroup (GREW), Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC), Entophia by Penang Butterfly Farm, The Habitat Penang Hill, and Centre For Marine & Coastal Studies (CEMACS), and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) [1].

It is expected that 300 participants – both Malaysian and international youth – will join this summit. There will be various exciting activities, such as workshop sessions, expert sharing sessions, excursions, booth and exhibition showcases, and climate action plan development. Climate change is crucial because it poses significant threats to the environment, human health, and economies worldwide. It leads to more frequent and severe weather events, loss of biodiversity, and rising sea levels, which can displace communities and disrupt livelihoods.

Addressing climate change is essential for ensuring a sustainable future for all. Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow expressed his full support for the programme and hoped for its success in achieving all its objectives.

 

[1] Riadz Akmal. (2024). Youth power in climate summit. Buletin Mutiara, July 16-31.