- C40 Youth Hub is a global network of more than 100 young climate leaders.
- C40 City Youth Engagement Network (CYEN) helps city officials from around the world engage youth in climate action.
- The launch of networks was made during London Climate Action Week.
Today, C40 Cities is announcing new support for mayors and youth to help them co-create equitable solutions and work together to end our reliance on fossil fuels and deliver climate justice. C40 is launching two global networks, the C40 Youth Hub and the C40 City Youth Engagement Network (CYEN).
CYEN supports city officials in strengthening youth engagement in climate action. The C40 Youth Hub will connect young people around the world to exchange knowledge about urban climate solutions and empower them to advance inclusive climate action where they live.
More than 100 young climate leaders are already part of the C40 Youth Hub, and more than 15 cities have joined CYEN, gaining access to peer-to-peer exchanges and other resources to support the design and implementation of impactful youth engagement strategies in climate action. More are expected in the days ahead, as C40 continues to engage with youth and city leaders around the globe on science-driven, locally-led climate action.
Youth engagement has proven to help cities to generate public and political support for science-driven climate action that improves the lives of everyone. It is key to creating the jobs of the future. C40 cities have pledged to drive the creation and support of 50 million good, green jobs this decade.
Sally Cap, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia, said: “Melbourne is proud to be one of the first cities joining the C40 City Youth Engagement Network. We know young people in Melbourne care deeply about climate change, and want to be a part of bold climate action initiatives and see meaningful change. They play a vital role, as they not only bring their diverse experiences and viewpoints, but they will also inherit the outcomes of these decisions as the future custodians of our cities.”
Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens, Greece, said: “Building resilient cities in times of transition and crises necessitates utilising all rare resources – young people, de facto, being one of them. In order to unleash their immense untapped potential, bring their knowledge, skills and innovative ideas to effective climate action, we must give them space, provide them with the opportunities to be actively engaged in climate-related activities, decision-making processes and governance. I hope that by participating in CYEN, Athens will create new and strengthen current institutions and mechanisms that incorporate the youth’s perspective, creativity and outside-the-box thinking into designing and implementing adaptive policies aimed at addressing the climate crisis and the physical, social and economic challenges it presents. Young people are ‘timeless trendsetters’: they signal to society what is new! Thus, how does a society – a city – evolve, if it does not know how to expand in order to involve and integrate them? To build a more sustainable and resilient future, we need to empower the youth to influence and shape it.”
Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv, Israel, said: “Youth are the inheritors of the future we are shaping today. Tel Aviv-Yafo is dedicated to empowering and engaging youth, as they are not just residents and consumers in the city but vital agents of change in shaping its character and vision. By actively involving youth, we ensure that urban preparedness for climate change is inclusive, relevant and impactful. Through their participation, we foster intergenerational collaboration, instill a sense of ownership and inspire a new generation of climate leaders. Tel Aviv-Yafo is excited to join the C40 Youth Engagement Network. Our participation reaffirms the city’s commitment to nurturing and amplifying youth voices and perspectives, harnessing their creativity and passion to build a sustainable city for current and future generations as one.”
Karin Wanngård, Mayor of Stockholm, Sweden, said: “I am very pleased to announce that the City of Stockholm is joining the new C40 City Youth Engagement Network (CYEN). It is of utmost importance to have young people aboard in our fight against climate change. To make this happen, we must facilitate their participation in the democratic processes. They need to feel that their engagement makes a real difference. It is my firm belief that our membership of CYEN will constitute a great peer-to-peer learning network for our cities and that we together can find ways to increase youth participation in city-led climate action.”
Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles, United States, said: “I want to thank C40 for inviting Los Angeles to participate in the C40 City Youth Engagement Network. By engaging youth in city-led climate actions, we are not only investing in a more sustainable future, but also empowering the future generations of change agents and environmental stewards our communities so desperately need. Their voices matter and we need to stand ready to listen, learn and act beside them.”
Bruce Harrel, Mayor of Seattle, United States, said: “Our city, our world, and our climate are changing, and we have a responsibility to our youth to respond to the climate crisis with urgency. Young leaders have made it clear that climate action is a top priority for their generation, and we must listen, learn, empower, and center their voices in our climate investments. Seattle’s young people are helping to create policies and programs that change how we use transportation and construct buildings, improve air quality and grow urban forests, increase resilience and connection to one another, and advance the goals of the One Seattle Climate Justice Agenda. This is the generation that will face the climate crisis head on – and they’re not waiting to act. These are our future policymakers, advocates, scientists and leaders, and we are proud to have them be part of our long-term climate solutions.”