At the end of October 2021, member states and observer organizations will gather in Glasgow for the 26th Conference of Parties. Top of the agenda will be finding ways to mobilize US$ 100 billion every year in climate finance. This ambitious target requires the involvement of all stakeholders both in the public and private sector, to play their part towards resource mobilization.

The Global Youth Climate Action Fund, an initiative of BLI Global and Drop Access, has set an ambitious target to raise and invest US$100,000,000 into youth-led climate action projects by 2030. As part of the readiness program of the fund, a capacity building session is planned to take place between August and October 2021. The session picks up as season II of the climate finance and carbon pricing webinar series that took place last year. The virtual sessions are scheduled to stream through zoom and will include practitioners in the field of climate finance and carbon pricing, organizations that are already leading the way towards ambition, and young people who are already finding climate solutions through innovation.

With support from the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Citizen’s Climate International, the GYCAF is stepping up momentum in the race to COP26 in Glasgow. Our sessions will begin with a global outlook on climate finance and carbon pricing in relation to COP26 and today’s economy. Regional breakout sessions will follow suit to provide context from stakeholders on the ground. Providing a platform for young people and key stakeholders to explain and discuss their positions and priorities will promote inclusive thought sharing and a shared appreciation of the true needs of communities at a grassroot-level.

Some key sessions we would like to highlight are:

  1. Supporting youth in implementation of the NDCs. This first session is focused on mostly developing countries most of which have been urged to update their NDCs before COP 26. This hopes to Foster meaning engagement between youth and their government.
  2. Financing Youth towards a net zero world. The second session is focused on developed nations with high emissions, ensuring they take responsibility for their actions.
  3. Lesson learnt from climate finance modules. The third session is focused on best practices learnt and what young people can borrow going into the future,  as well as what not to do and what to do when it comes to climate finance.

We invite you to sign up for the event on eventbrite or zoom registration and to share the event within your networks.

Together we can achieve the ambitious targets spelled out in the Paris Agreement, forging a path that leads us towards COP26 and beyond.

Lady Maria Horne, BLI Global and Dolphine Magero, Global Youth Climate Action Fund