Over 300 young community leaders from 100 of the world’s most climate-impacted countries at a global gathering in Tanzania co-created strategies and demands for climate action ahead of COP29.
The Conference of the Parties, COP, now in its 29th edition, is the Convention’s top decision-making body. All parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, where they review the Convention’s implementation and any other legal instruments adopted by the COP and make decisions to promote the Convention’s effective implementation, including institutional and administrative arrangements.
Taking place from October 8–12, the Climate Justice Camp is the largest in-person platform of its kind for young leaders from the Global South. Almost 1,000 people from countries on the frontlines of climate change have attended previous camps, leading to new climate initiatives worldwide and strengthening youth representation from frontline regions at UN COP negotiations.2024 marks the third edition.
The agender features workshops on conflict and demilitarization, the road to COP, energy transition, adaptation and resilience, plastic pollution, and gender and climate; to create regional and international networks that can push for long-term political change. More than 30 partner organizations, local and global, have been collaborating on the design and
program.
According to Agustin Maggio, program leader and lead partner of the Climate Justice Camp, “Building community and forging alliances in spaces like this is essential in driving the action required for radical system change. Attendees of the Climate Justice Camp come from some of the most challenging contexts in the world and disproportionately suffer the consequences of climate change every day. Those most impacted must be at the center of global decision-making processes. Participants from previous camps have gone on to influence COP negotiations and loss and damage discussions, start youth-led NGOs, from regional and global coalitions, and develop campaigns that have led to real change in their communities.”
Last year, the Climate Justice Camp was held in Beirut, Lebanon, and in 2022 the camp took place in Nabeul, Tunisia.
“Hosting the Climate Justice Camp in Tanzania this year is significant for Africa and the broader Global South. Our continent has been at the forefront of climate impacts, yet African communities continue to rise with resilience and leadership. This gathering is more than just a dialogue; it’s an opportunity for African youth to unite, strategize, and build alliances to shape climate action from the grassroots to global platforms. We are here to amplify our voices, showcase African solutions, and ensure our demands for climate justice are heard loud and clear.” Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, a Climate Justice Camp partner, said.