Youth leaders call for stronger climate action ahead of COP31

More than a decade after the Paris Agreement, youth leaders and climate advocates from Bangladesh and across the Global South have called for urgent action to close the gap between international climate commitments and the realities faced by frontline communities.

The call came at the Bangladesh Youth COP 2026 International Solidarity Webinar, titled "Paris to Antalya: A Decade of Climate Commitments and Realities", organised by ActionAid Bangladesh and Brighters on 21 September, bringing together youth representatives, civil society advocates and climate strategists from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Ukraine, Ethiopia and across the Global South ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, according to the press release.

The discussion focused on mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, loss and damage, youth participation and international accountability, with speakers stressing that progress must be measured by action and outcomes, not commitments alone.

Chairing the session, ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir said the climate crisis had reached a point where political language must give way to concrete action.

"It's a decade and the global community has hidden behind the elegant prose of the Paris Agreement. Science has been clear that the 1.5-degree warming target is our line of survival, not a negotiable political chip," she said.

Brighters Chair Fariha Sultana Aumi, who moderated the webinar, stressed that young people from frontline communities must have meaningful influence over climate decisions and access to resources.

The implementation gap emerged as a central concern during the discussion.

Speakers noted that the Paris Agreement established an important global framework, but progress on emissions reduction, adaptation finance, loss and damage, and meaningful participation remained inadequate.

ActionAid Bangladesh Lead for Youth, Resilience and Climate Justice Nazmul Ahsan highlighted the barriers facing grassroots youth initiatives.

"Youth are not just emergency responders in times of climate disaster. They are drivers of long-term resilience. International finance must directly reach youth-led grassroots initiatives," he said.

From Nepal, LCOY Nepal Contact Point Aakriti Dotel emphasised that adaptation is a survival issue for vulnerable communities and called for youth, Indigenous communities, women, farmers and children to be included in decision-making from the outset.

Dr Anirudh Jaganath, LCOY liaison for YOUNGO, highlighted the role of Local Conferences of Youth in connecting grassroots realities with global negotiations.

"Local Conferences of Youth are not merely side gatherings. They are policy engines through which grassroots realities can shape global climate governance," he said.

The webinar also examined climate finance, historical responsibility and continued dependence on fossil fuels.

Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of the Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), said the climate agenda must return to its core purpose and be driven by collective action.

"The narrative that began with the Paris Agreement 10 years ago is not the same today. It has shifted from its core objective and is not serving the demands of the Global South. We should focus on collective action to make the next decade a success," she said.

Harjeet Singh, strategic adviser at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, criticised the continued expansion of fossil fuels despite growing climate impacts.

"The Global North is only delivering speeches about green transitions, while we are expanding fossil fuels and giving out more licences, knowing very well the ecological and human cost we are bearing in the Global South," he said.

Climate Action Network International Executive Director Tasneem Essop said the climate narrative had moved away from the urgency and equity at the heart of the Paris process, underscoring the need for collective action to put the next decade on a different trajectory.

The discussion also connected climate justice with peace, human rights and environmental protection.

Anastasiia Netrebytska, focal point for Global Platform Ukraine at ActionAid, and Sajida Saraheen, representing LCOY Palestine, highlighted the compounded vulnerabilities faced by young people in conflict-affected settings.

From Bangladesh, Waterkeepers Bangladesh Coordinator Sharif Jamil linked climate resilience with ecosystem protection.

"We cannot talk about climate adaptation while continuing to destroy our rivers and critical ecosystems. True climate justice begins with protecting our water bodies and centring frontline communities in every decision," he said.

Climate Action Network South Asia (Cansa) Director Dr Sanjay Vashist called for stronger regional cooperation and transparent, grant-based climate finance.

Judah Bezabih Petros, youth mentoring and policy assistant at MSTCDC, emphasised the importance of policy education and institutional space for young leaders.

As COP31 approaches, participants called for the next decade of climate action to move beyond negotiation rooms and into communities, supported by predictable finance, stronger accountability, meaningful youth participation, ambitious emissions reductions and locally led solutions.

The organisers said Bangladesh Youth COP 2026 would continue connecting young people's lived experiences and priorities with national climate positions and international negotiations, while strengthening solidarity among youth climate movements across the Global South.