As the Youth Organisations Forum (GoFor), we are heading to the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Together with the National Council of Swedish Children and Youth Organisations (LSU), we have prepared a joint policy paper to present at COP29.
Click to view the policy paper.
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. As GoFor, we are attending COP29 with a delegation of young activists representing member organisations of the European Youth Forum.
The policy paper represents the collective voice of youth organizations from Türkiye and Sweden. It addresses key climate-related issues faced by youth in these two countries and provides a framework aligned with COP29’s agenda. The primary goal of the document is to detail the demands, needs, and issues of youth in Türkiye and Sweden and convey them within the relevant negotiation spaces at COP29.
The policy paper was prepared not by technocrats but by youth, for youth.
We, as GoFor, organized an exchange program in Ankara with LSU titled “Environmental Sustainability and Justice.” During the program, participants engaged in various thematic discussions, ranging from climate finance to environmental conflicts, addressing how youth rights progress or, more often, regress within these themes. Based on these discussions, participants worked to create viable and effective policy recommendations, mainly revolving around the agenda of COP29. The key findings and outputs of the program form the core of this policy paper.
Transition to a Post-Growth Economy Is No Longer Just a Demand but an Urgent Need.
The document conveys a fundamental view: The transition toward a global post-growth economy, where economic competition is replaced by cooperation, has become an urgent need rather than a mere demand. As youth organizations from Türkiye and Sweden, we have already begun to advocate for such a transition at multiple levels. COP29 stands before us as the most effective platform, where we will demonstrate the strongest form of our struggle against socio-ecologically exploitative economic policies. This policy paper constitutes the written form of this struggle of ours, reflecting the joint efforts and goals of youth from Türkiye and Sweden.
Beyond GDP: Social and Ecological Priorities
The policy paper views GDP as a flawed measure of societal progress and rejects its use. It calls for metrics that prioritize ecological health, social well-being, and equity over endless economic growth. According to the policy paper, continuing to use GDP as the primary metric perpetuates environmental degradation and inequality, disproportionately affecting youth.
Our key demands presented in the policy paper is as follows:
- Legally mandating youth representation
- Implementing participatory budgeting in climate finance
- Establishing youth-led climate funds
- Transitioning from loans to grants
- Ending the commodification of climate finance
- Ensuring equitable resource redistribution
- Guaranteeing green jobs for youth
- Implementing public housing for climate resilience
- Establishing community-based resource management
- Integrating indigenous knowledge into climate policies
- Securing land rights
- Supporting youth-led adaptation initiatives
- Protecting public assets from privatization
- Effectively implementing universal basic services
- Legislating protections for youth activists and youth organizations
- Abandoning GDP as the primary indicator of progress
- Implementing progressive taxation and wealth redistribution
- Decarbonizing and decommodifying essential sectors
What is COP?
COP stands for the “Conference of the Parties,” referring to the annual meetings held by countries that are parties to the UNFCCC, adopted in 1994.
This year’s COP29 will bring together representatives of the Parties to the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC in Baku, Azerbaijan, to accelerate efforts toward fulfilling their legal obligations. The conference is held annually to assess and measure progress toward combating climate change.
Click to view the policy paper.
* This policy paper reflects solely the views, approaches, and demands of the participants from the exchange programme on environmental sustainability and justice, jointly organized by the Youth Organizations Forum (GoFor) and the National Council of Swedish Child and Youth Organizations (LSU) in November 1-5, 2024. It represents the collective insights and perspectives shared during the programme and does not necessarily reflect the official positions or policies of LSU. Where the term ‘LSU’ is used in this paper, it refers exclusively to the participants from LSU who took part in the exchange programme, and not to the whole organization.
