BY THEMBA ZWANE
EZULWINI – Young people from across Eswatini are developing a national climate change statement that will be presented to government, development partners and other stakeholders before being submitted to the international climate negotiations in Turkey in November.
The statement is expected to capture the climate challenges experienced by young people in their communities and schools, while proposing practical solutions that can inform national policies and strengthen climate action.
Nokuthula Mamba, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Youth Sustainable Development Centre (YSDC), said this was one of the key expected outcomes of the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Eswatini 2026, which brought together young people to contribute to climate change policies at local, regional and international levels.
Mamba said the conference was creating a platform for young people to move beyond discussing the effects of climate change and identify solutions that could be incorporated into policies and implemented within their communities.
“What we have been doing is basically engaging young people where they are sharing about the climate change issues that they are witnessing within their community, within their schools, and also at national level,” she said.
She explained that participants were discussing how to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects through active involvement in their communities.
The process is expected to culminate in a youth statement that will be shared with the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, development partners and other stakeholders working on climate action in Eswatini. It will subsequently be submitted to YOUNGO, the official Children and Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), before being taken to the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Turkey in November.
The initiative gives young people an opportunity to ensure that their experiences and proposed solutions are reflected in climate policy discussions beyond the communities in which they live.
Mamba said the gathering had brought together young people from different parts of the country, with youth organisations playing a central role in mobilising participants and facilitating engagement.
The organisations involved include Hlumisa Youth Climate Network, YSDC, Eswatini Youth in Water and the Eswatini Climate Change Youth Parliament, among others.
YOUTH VOICES IN NATIONAL CLIMATE POLICY
The LCOY Eswatini 2026 concept note identifies the conference as part of a broader process aimed at strengthening youth participation in climate governance and ensuring that local realities inform national and international climate discussions.
Held under the theme, “Building Sustainable Futures: Harnessing Youth-led Climate Action in Eswatini,” the initiative seeks to strengthen young people’s understanding of climate policies and create meaningful opportunities for them to contribute to their implementation.
The conference is designed to connect young people’s recommendations with national climate frameworks, including Eswatini’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
These frameworks are central to the country’s climate commitments and adaptation efforts. By engaging young people in discussions around them, the conference seeks to build a stronger link between policy commitments and the challenges experienced by communities.
According to the concept note, the LCOY process began with consultations across all four regions of Eswatini: Hhohho, Manzini, Lubombo and Shiselweni.
These regional engagements provided opportunities for young people to share their experiences, identify local climate priorities and explore solutions suited to their communities. The findings are being consolidated to inform the national conference and its final youth climate statement.
This approach is intended to ensure that the statement reflects the perspectives of young people across the country rather than the views of a limited group of participants.
GREEN INNOVATION AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Beyond policy engagement, LCOY Eswatini 2026 promotes climate action through green innovation, green skills development and community resilience.
The concept note places particular emphasis on the relationship between environmental protection, food systems and livelihoods. It identifies sustainable agriculture, water governance, indigenous knowledge, ecological stewardship and community-led adaptation as important areas for discussion.
These priorities recognise that climate change is not only an environmental concern but also an issue affecting the resources and livelihoods on which communities depend.
Through the conference, young people are expected to explore how locally driven initiatives can contribute to sustainable development while helping communities respond to climate-related challenges.
The programme also provides for discussions on climate justice, gaps in the implementation of national climate commitments and challenges associated with the National Adaptation Plan.
Government representatives, civil society organisations, development partners, academia and youth representatives are among the stakeholders expected to contribute to discussions on strengthening climate action.
The concept note also identifies inclusive participation as a priority, with the conference intended to provide space for rural and marginalised young people, differently abled youth, grassroots environmental actors and other underrepresented groups.
TAKING ESWATINI’S YOUTH PRIORITIES TO THE GLOBAL STAGE
The National Youth Climate Statement is expected to serve both as an advocacy document for use within Eswatini and as the country’s youth contribution to regional and international climate processes.
Through YOUNGO, the statement will enter a wider youth climate engagement process linked to the UNFCCC.
For the organisers, this creates an opportunity to connect concerns raised in Eswatini’s communities with broader discussions on climate change and sustainable development.
Mamba’s remarks underline the importance of ensuring that young people are not merely consulted about climate change but also contribute practical recommendations that can influence policy and action.
The ultimate objective is to translate the experiences, ideas and proposals gathered through the LCOY process into recommendations that decision-makers and climate stakeholders can consider.
As the process moves towards the COP meeting in Turkey, the youth statement is expected to provide a consolidated account of the priorities young people want addressed, bringing community experiences into the national and international climate policy conversation.
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