Ahead of the upcoming COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, dozens of young leaders, activists, students, and civil society actors gathered in Yaoundé for the National Youth Forum on Climate Change.
Held under the theme “Youth and Climate: Acting here to impact COP31,” the national gathering highlighted the growing determination of young people in Cameroon to actively shape international climate governance. Faced with escalating environmental challenges, the forum provided a platform for participants to formulate actionable recommendations and unify their voice on the global stage.
The strong mobilization underscores a clear reality: Cameroonian youth refuse to remain passive bystanders as climate change threatens their future. Across the region, communities are increasingly grappling with severe floods, prolonged droughts, food insecurity, and widespread ecosystem degradation.
Children and young people suffer the brunt of these impacts despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. The forum emphasized that urgent intervention is required to safeguard vulnerable populations and build community resilience against accelerating environmental shocks.
The climate crisis exerts a particularly disproportionate toll on young girls and women across affected communities. When climate disasters strike, families face heightened economic pressures, leading to sharp increases in school dropout rates, early marriages, and gender-based violence.
Participating in the event, Plan International Cameroon reinforced that effective climate action cannot be separated from children’s rights and gender equality. The organization stressed that addressing environmental breakdown requires protecting the safety, dignity, and educational continuity of young girls.
To address these compounding vulnerabilities, Plan International Cameroon outlined key policy priorities for decision-makers. The organization called for climate policies that integrate the specific needs of youth, guaranteed access to education, health services, and economic opportunities, and direct financial support for youth-led adaptation projects.
Crucially, advocates insisted that young people must be treated as strategic decision-making partners rather than passive policy beneficiaries. Echoing this sentiment, Hermès Nkwa, General Coordinator of CIDP, noted that while children are least responsible for climate change, they bear its heaviest consequences.
As world leaders prepare to convene for COP31, the central message from Yaounde remains resolute: no decisions regarding the future of the planet should be made without young people at the table.
By uniting youth voices, advocacy organizations, and local leaders, the forum established a strong platform for Cameroonian youth to influence international climate negotiations. Their call to action serves as a reminder that meaningful climate solutions depend on empowering the next generation to lead environmental transition efforts.
