9 February 2009: The Youth Division at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is organizing a series of events focusing on youth participation in social integration, the main theme of the 47th session of the Commission for Social Development, which is meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, US, from 4-13 February. One of the side events focused specifically on the role of youth in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Many participants underlined that youth, defined as persons between 15 and 24 years old, comprise 18% of the world’s population or 1.1 billion, of which 85% live in developing countries. This demonstrates the transformative potential of youth and the need to effectively engage them to play an active part in global efforts on combating climate change. Nicola Shepherd, UN Youth Focal Point, noted that young people are highly adaptable at making sustainable lifestyle choices and they are at the forefront of finding solutions to address climate change.
At the event, participants also contributed their views to the Biennual World Youth Report, which will be published later this year on youth and climate change. Some issues informing the report are climate change and the social development agenda, youth and their well-being, indigenous youth and climate change, youth consumption patterns, reforming education for climate protection, the impact of climate change on employment, positioning youth for adaptation and mitigation, and placing youth at the center of the response to climate change. [Interactive Dialogue on Climate Change Solutions] [World Youth Report 2009: Youth and Climate Change]