AYSDN Calls for Youth to Be Placed at the Center of Climate Action Across the MENA Region

AYSDN Calls for Youth to Be Placed at the Center of Climate Action Across the MENA Region

New Policy Paper highlights the critical role of 355 million young people and calls for stronger youth participation, climate finance, education and green employment opportunities

The Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network (AYSDN) has published its policy paper, “The Role of Youth in Advancing Climate Action in the MENA Region: Advancing Intergenerational Climate Justice Across 22 Arab Nations,” calling for a fundamental strengthening of youth participation in climate governance, climate finance, education, innovation and the green economy across the Middle East and North Africa.

The policy paper examines the region’s escalating climate challenges and the opportunities presented by its exceptionally young population. Approximately 355 million people under the age of 30—around 60% of the MENA population—represent both a generation increasingly exposed to climate risks and a major source of innovation, entrepreneurship, advocacy and leadership for climate action.

A region facing a defining climate challenge

The paper highlights the growing climate pressures facing MENA, including rising temperatures, water scarcity, desertification, extreme heat, food insecurity and economic vulnerability.

According to the paper, 14 of the world’s 20 most water-stressed countries are located in the MENA region, while climate-related pressures are already affecting livelihoods, food systems, economic development and social stability.

At the same time, young people face significant socioeconomic challenges, including a regional youth unemployment rate of approximately 28%, underscoring the importance of connecting climate action with decent work, skills development and economic opportunity.

Youth remain significantly underrepresented in climate decision-making

Despite their demographic importance and growing engagement, the policy paper identifies substantial gaps in meaningful youth participation.

AYSDN’s analysis indicates that fewer than 8% of MENA Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) contain explicit youth participation mechanisms, while 76% of surveyed MENA youth environmental organizations reported that they had never been formally consulted by their national governments on climate policy.

The paper also identifies access to finance as a major constraint, reporting that less than 2% of climate finance in MENA reaches youth-led organizations.

“These gaps demonstrate that youth participation cannot remain limited to symbolic engagement,” the paper argues. Meaningful participation requires institutional mechanisms, resources, capacity development and opportunities for young people to contribute directly to climate decision-making.

Evidence shows that youth-led action can deliver results

The policy paper documents youth-led climate initiatives across the region, demonstrating the diversity of approaches young people are already taking—from climate diplomacy and renewable energy to entrepreneurship, environmental advocacy and community mobilization.

Examples documented by AYSDN include:

Egypt: More than 200 young climate advocates from 14 Arab countries participated in the COP27 youth delegation.
Morocco: Green Youth Labs supported more than 340 young entrepreneurs and incubated 78 climate-focused startups.
Jordan: The Jordan Youth Renewable Energy Cooperative installed 2.4 MW of solar capacity across 47 installations.
Tunisia: The Tunisian Youth Climate Justice Network advanced legal and constitutional climate advocacy.
Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Green Initiative Youth Champions Program engaged more than 15,000 young people in environmental initiatives.
Regional level: The Arab Youth Climate Movement mobilized more than 500 youth representatives at COP28.
These examples demonstrate the potential of structured partnerships between young people, governments, civil society, development institutions and the private sector.

AYSDN presents a policy roadmap for action

The policy paper proposes 21 recommendations across four major actor groups: national governments, regional organizations, international development partners, and civil society and youth networks.

Among the recommendations are:

For national governments:

Establish Youth Climate Advisory Councils with formal consultation rights.
Allocate a minimum 15% of national green fund disbursements to youth-led climate initiatives.
Integrate comprehensive climate literacy into secondary and tertiary education.
Establish a 30% minimum youth representation target in national UNFCCC COP delegations.
Create National Youth Green Economy Fellowships.

For regional organizations:

Establish a MENA Regional Youth Climate Fund with an initial capitalization target of USD 500 million.
Launch a regional Youth Green Economy Accelerator.
Develop a regional climate education framework.
Establish a MENA Youth Climate Data Observatory.

For international development partners:

Make youth participation assessments a standard component of climate-related programming.
Establish a dedicated MENA Youth Climate Finance Facility.
Expand climate leadership fellowships and South-South exchanges.
Provide flexible, multi-year core funding for youth and civil society organizations.

For civil society and youth networks:

Strengthen regional coordination through a MENA Youth Climate Action Alliance.
Establish a regional Youth Climate Evidence Hub.
Strengthen organizational capacity, legal advocacy and coalition building.
Promote intergenerational partnerships across civil society, government and the private sector.

From participation to partnership

AYSDN emphasizes that the region’s young people should not be viewed solely as beneficiaries of climate policies, but as active partners in designing and implementing climate solutions.

The paper concludes that the coming decade will be decisive for the MENA region, particularly in relation to energy transition, climate adaptation, environmental governance, climate finance and green economic development.

AYSDN therefore calls on governments, regional institutions, international development partners, financial institutions, civil society, academia and the private sector to strengthen meaningful youth participation and create practical pathways for young people to contribute to climate action.

“The youth of today are not the leaders of tomorrow — they are the leaders of today.”
— Arab Youth Climate Movement, Dubai Declaration, COP28, 2023

About AYSDN

The Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network (AYSDN) is a regional platform dedicated to amplifying youth voices and advancing sustainable development across the Middle East and North Africa. AYSDN engages young people as active agents of change in climate policy, environmental governance and innovation.

For media inquiries:
Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network (AYSDN)
Email: info@aysdn.org
Website: www.aysdn.org