Climate Change: Youth Climate Movement Influential in Mzansi

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Climate Change is no longer a conversation reserved for scientists, policymakers or adults. It has become part of everyday life, influencing the environment, communities and the future young people will inherit. From conversations around the dinner table to discussions on social media, more young people are becoming aware of how climate change is affecting the world around them, and why their voices matter. In this Youth Express editorial, Damatria Ntintili unpacks the climate movement in South Africa, exploring the growing role of young people in creating awareness and shaping conversations about the planet.

For many young South Africans, climate change is no longer a distant environmental issue. It is becoming a question of jobs, food, water, electricity, health and the kind of future we will inherit. Across the country, young people are increasingly moving from simply being aware of climate change to demanding a voice in the decisions that will shape our future.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be part of a group of young people contributing to the drafting of a youth COP statement. For me, this was a reminder that young people are not simply recipients of climate policy-we are increasingly participants in shaping it.

Conferences discussing climate change

But what exactly is COP, and why does our presence matter?

COP, or the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is the world’s main multilateral forum for negotiating global climate action. Almost every country participates. Governments negotiate issues including emissions reduction, adaptation, climate finance, technology and loss and damage.

For countries in the Global South, these negotiations are particularly important. Many developing countries face severe climate impacts while having contributed comparatively less to historical greenhouse-gas emissions. At the same time, they often face higher costs of borrowing and limited fiscal resources to finance adaptation and energy transitions. Climate negotiations therefore involve not only environmental questions, but questions of development, inequality, finance and justice.

Engaging decision-makers on climate change

COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, placed climate finance at the centre of negotiations. Countries agreed to a new goal calling for developed countries to provide at least US$300 billion annually to developing countries by 2035, alongside efforts to scale climate finance from public and private sources towards US$1.3 trillion annually. COP29 also advanced work on adaptation, carbon markets, gender and climate action, while creating spaces for young people to engage directly with decision-makers.

COP30 in Belém, Brazil, continued this shift from promises towards implementation. Its outcomes included a new agreement on a just transition and an agreement to triple adaptation finance, while the Presidency continued work on mobilising US$1.3 trillion in climate finance.

climate change opinion by damatria ntintili

Next phase of climate advocacy

As young South Africans prepare to contribute to the next phase of climate advocacy, our expectations should therefore extend beyond simply having a seat in the room. We need climate finance that is accessible, predictable and appropriate for developing countries; meaningful youth participation; investment in green skills and decent jobs; stronger adaptation; and transitions that do not deepen existing inequalities.

Youth participation matters because climate decisions made today will shape the societies in which our generation will live and work. Young people bring lived experiences, new ideas and a long-term stake in the outcome.

The question is no longer whether young people belong in climate conversations.

It is whether global climate governance is prepared to genuinely listen to us and turn our demands into action.