Broadening youth participation in climate policy processes:

Inclusive participation in policy formulation is key to solving current and future major
societal challenges. The wider and effective engagement of multiple stakeholders is
essential for policies to address different legitimate needs, reduce risks of policy failure,
and open ways for transformational strategies and game-changing partnerships. This is
particularly relevant in the area of policies to tackle climate change, where countries in
Asia and the Pacific are falling short of the level of ambition needed to avoid a climate
crisis and move towards a just transition. Youth have been instrumental in advocating
for urgent climate actions. However, the contribution of youth to the policymaking
process is often limited due to the lack of resources and time and unequal levels of
power in the policymaking process. It is important to ensure that youths can see their
views reflected in this process, from agenda-setting to policy formulation, adoption,
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
What is your solution to engage youths, including the most marginalized and
vulnerable groups, in national and regional climate change policymaking
processes? How can your solution help ensure youths’ contributions go beyond
participation to having an impact on national and regional policies?
We invite proposals for creative, credible, and practical ways to engage youths in
national and regional (Asia-Pacific) level policy processes for climate change.
Applicants may wish to select an aspect of climate action (for example, energy
transition, trade and investment, building science, technology and innovation
capabilities, investing in ecosystem services, low carbon transportation) as a focus for
the proposal. The proposals should address the barriers to youth participation in
policymaking, particularly those faced by youths from marginalized groups and work
towards impactful youth participation in policymaking.

Lee, Jaime Augusto T. | Ramos, Raphael Manuel P. | Trinidad, Marie Angeline A.

 ■ The specific issue that you are going to address and the target group(s) (150
words)
The specific issue the group plans on addressing would be improving the role of
the youth in climate change policymaking. In particular, the group believes in the
capabilities of the youth in using powerful tools like technology in creating innovative
ideas to efficiently bring the world closer to solving the climate crisis. Given the
ever-evolving state of technology in today’s world, it is vital that the usage of these
resources should be capitalized on. The youth being digital natives are also able to
bring value-adding ideas to the stage, and it is up to current policymakers to realize this
by providing the youth with accessible platforms in solving climate change through
technology.
■ The solution you are proposing, how it solves the problem you set out to address
and the time frame of the solution? (300 words)
The proposed solution is to employ policies that incentivize the youth to voice
solutions to the relevant authorities through outlets that are accessible to them. This
necessitates several requisites for its effective implementation. First, the youth must be
educated on the importance of technology to solve the climate crisis. Specifically, they
must know about the problem at hand and how science, technology, and innovation can
address such issues. This is essential because education provides them with working
knowledge which is a crucial component in crafting solutions. The youth must also have
a level of proficiency in policymaking. Existing institutions must make it a norm to touch
up on topics that give the youth an opportunity to grasp how policies are crafted. This is
to increase their attachment towards contributing to policymaking processes. Also,
knowing even the basics of policymaking serves as their guidepost in thinking of
solutions. The youth must also be educated about the existence of outlets for their
ideas, which feeds into the second prerequisite: there must be outlets. These outlets
must be accessible to the youth; hence, it shall be available in both online and offline
forms (i.e. a website, a ballot box, a hotline, face-to-face communication with
personnel). All outlets must require participants to disclose their identity and contact
details for the purposes of being able to contact them, should their solution be selected.
Third, the implementing bodies must be willing to listen to the youth. They must be on
the receiving end of the outlets and maintain a mindset of genuinely wanting to learn
about the youth’s submissions. Fourth, the implementing bodies must be willing to
provide incentives for the youth’s participation. The creation of technology-driven
solutions to the climate crisis would require innovative minds and they should be
rewarded for their efforts.
■ The resources and networks you mobilize and reach out to in order to implement
the solution? (100 words)
The solution requires action from three primary economic agents: the
government, youth-centered organizations, and educational institutions. First, the

Lee, Jaime Augusto T. | Ramos, Raphael Manuel P. | Trinidad, Marie Angeline A.

government must be involved in actualizing the solution because they consist of the
policymaking individuals who can turn youth’s ideas into reality. Second, youth-centered
organizations must also play a role since they may aid in guiding and empowering the
youth to participate in the solution. Lastly, educational institutions are resources that
may be used to efficiently spread knowledge on the solution. Overall, these agents play
a particularly important role in making the solution effective.
■ Can this solution be scaled up, by who and how? (100 words
The solution can be scaled up by allowing for greater integration among regions
like the ASEAN – making it an inter-country endeavor to provide the youth with more
opportunities in creating technology-driven solutions to the climate crisis. Given the
grave importance of solving this problem, it must be in the best interest of the ASEAN to
implement programs similar to the one proposed as the youth may have innovative
ideas that could be effective when implemented. It must be important that country
leaders listen to the youth’s ideas as these could be key as they aim to solve the climate
crisis.

Lee, Jaime Augusto T. | Ramos, Raphael Manuel P. | Trinidad, Marie Angeline A.