BYLC trains young people in climate negotiation ahead of COP31

Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre (BYLC) held a workshop today to help young people understand and take part in international climate negotiations ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, this November.

More than 50 young people committed to climate action attended the "Climate Change Negotiation" workshop, with some expected to participate in COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, this November, according to the press release.

BYLC organised the workshop with the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Alliance for Sustainable Development Foundation. It took place at BYLC's headquarters in Dhaka today (10 October).

The organisers stressed that global climate negotiations directly affect Bangladesh, where rising seas, stronger cyclones, floods and extreme heat threaten lives and livelihoods.

They said young people, who will live longest with these impacts, need to understand climate science, emissions sources, global responses and how international negotiations work.

Sessions covered the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, the Paris Agreement, nationally determined contributions, climate finance, adaptation, loss and damage, and leadership for climate justice.

Participants also practised negotiation strategies and discussed Bangladesh's climate challenges.

Dr Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, adviser to the Climate Change and Disaster Management Division at the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, attended as chief guest.

He urged participants to learn from previous negotiations. "Study past COP negotiations to understand countries' priorities, compromises and outcomes. These lessons are vital to negotiating a more just and resilient future for Bangladesh," he said.

Mirza Shawkat Ali, director of climate change and international conventions at the Department of Environment, highlighted the skills young negotiators needed.

"Young people must learn the art of climate negotiation," he said. "Meaningful change does not come from raising our voices alone. It comes from listening, building common ground and finding solutions that work for everyone."

Ejaj Ahmad, founder and executive chairperson of BYLC, said, "For a country as climate vulnerable as Bangladesh, climate literacy is no longer optional. Every young Bangladeshi must understand climate science, where emissions come from, how we can reduce them, how we must adapt and how climate finance works. Decisions made at global negotiations will shape our youth's lives for decades. They need the knowledge and confidence to influence those decisions. Building this capacity is about long-term thinking. We are preparing a generation that will lead Bangladesh through the climate challenges of this century."

Senior government officials and climate experts facilitated the sessions. They included Md Ziaul Haque, additional director general on post-retirement leave at the Department of Environment; Md Yusuf Mehedi, assistant director at the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Md Mahbub Hasan, founder and executive director of the Alliance for Sustainable Development Foundation.

BYLC and its partners said they aimed to build lasting climate-related knowledge and skills among young Bangladeshis and bring their perspectives into national climate policymaking.

The initiative seeks to make Bangladesh's representation at COP31 and subsequent conferences more informed and inclusive.