AHEAD of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Brazil, young climate advocates on behalf of the 38.5 million children across the country have presented their 12-point recommendations, calling for decisive, inclusive, and accountable climate action to the duty bearers in the Philippine Government.
Government representatives from the National Youth Commission, the Climate Change Commission and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, and the Council for the Welfare of Children have all committed to bring the National Youth Statement in the discussions and negotiations at COP30 later this year, ensuring that young voices inform national commitments to climate resilience and justice.
The statement and commitment stemmed from a recent event which concluded a series of regional Local Conferences for Youth (LCOY) organized nationwide by the Positive Youth Development Network, in partnership with Unicef Philippines, the National Youth Commission, and youth-led networks under the Kabataang Resilient Network.
Young people presented the National Youth Statement and its 12 recommendations, reflecting the collective call of Filipino youth for a climate-resilient and just Philippines.
Highlights of the recommendations include:
Localizing climate adaptation plans at both national and local levels.
Institutionalizing youth representation in decision-making bodies such as disaster risk reduction and climate councils.
Ensuring protection mechanisms for youth environmental defenders.
Advancing climate-resilient schools and inclusive curricula that prepare learners for the realities of the climate crisis.
Demanding transparent climate finance with direct access to grassroots and youth-led initiatives.
Urging the declaration of a National Climate Emergency and strengthening sustainable food and water systems to support the most vulnerable, especially children and youth.
The statement reaffirms the youth’s role as partners in governance and co-creators of policy, demanding that resilience be rooted in equity, justice, and inclusive decision-making.
“We refuse to accept a future defined by mere survival, where our classrooms become evacuation centers, our communities endure repeated losses, and our pursuit of stability is constantly undermined by recurring disasters,” the youth declared. “Resilience must drive the transformation of our systems, the protection of our communities, and the safeguarding of our collective future.”
National Youth Commission Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Ortega lauded the culmination of the regional LCOYs and encouraged youth to find creative solutions to today’s problems like climate change.
“Don’t be satisfied with being described as resilient. In the first place, hindi naman dapat tayo nagsasuffer (we shouldn’t be suffering in the first place),” Ortega said, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to institutionalizing youth participation in climate and disaster governance.
Representatives from the aforementioned Government departments emphasized that redefining resilience means ensuring meaningful youth participation -- not just in consultations, but in every stage of policy design, implementation, and accountability.
They stressed that investing in children early is imperative to equip them as future leaders who will shape climate-resilient communities.
Unicef Philippines commended the youth for actively co-creating solutions in their communities, from organizing activities, mapping hazards to building early warning systems and teaching peers about climate change.
“Young people in the Philippines are not waiting for permission. You are organizing, building, teaching, and holding leaders accountable. You are proving that resilience is not quiet -- it is bold, loud, and brave. It is participatory, where children and youth are co-designers, not token voices,” Unicef Philippines Climate, Environment, and Resilience Chief Brooke Yamakoshi said.
COP is an annual meeting of States that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Each year, Unicef supports children and youth participation to advocate for children's rights and needs to be central to climate action this meeting. (PR)