Climate future hinges on youth leadership – Minister of State for Climate Change

The Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability Baba Issifu Seidu, has urged Ghanaian youth to move from the sidelines to the centre of climate action, stressing that the country’s climate future hinges on their leadership, innovation and resilience.

In a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the 5th Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Ghana 2025, on September 19, held at the University of Ghana, the minister said commitments under the Paris Agreement would remain meaningless unless young people are empowered to drive their implementation.

“Ghana has made bold commitments through our Nationally Determined Contributions, but commitments alone are not enough. We must review, reset, and most importantly, empower our young people to lead with fresh energy, creativity and resilience,” the minister said.

The event, themed “Review, Reset: Empowering Youth for Ghana’s Climate Future,” convened more than 450 youth leaders, policymakers, development partners and civil society actors.

Organized by the United Youth Initiative for Africa (UNIYIA) in collaboration with YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC, the conference highlighted the need to connect youth ideas with national policy and global action.

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A major highlight of this year’s edition was the launch of the Ghana Youth Climate Action Roadmap (GYCAR), described by the minister as “a blueprint of ambition.”

Developed by youth from across all 16 regions, GYCAR outlines pathways for advocacy, green entrepreneurship, skills development and community-level climate solutions.

“This roadmap shows the world that Ghana’s young people are not waiting on the sidelines but are stepping forward to shape their own future,” the minister emphasised.

The Lead Convenor of the conference, Noah Bugre, underscored the importance of the gathering in amplifying the voices of young people across the country on climate change.

“The Local Conference of Youth usually is to be able to gather youth voices across the country… how is climate change impacting people from the Upper East Region, from the Greater Accra Region? We also gather the opportunities and the demands youth have for government and international cooperation,” he stated.

Bugre noted that the conference has made significant strides, including the establishment of the Youth Climate Council, which serves as a governing body for youth organizations in the climate space.

“This was one of the milestones because the Youth Climate Council has been able to push for a lot of initiatives, even getting us on board as part of consultation processes when it comes to the NDCs,” he said.

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