COP30: Zimbabwe’s Youth Shape Climate Policy

Zimbabwe’s youth are driving national preparations for COP30, pushing for stronger climate finance, gender-responsive policies and youth inclusion as officials finalise the country’s negotiating position for the UN summit in Brazil (image source)

Young Zimbabweans dominated a preparatory meeting for the UN climate summit COP30, pressing officials for concrete commitments on adaptation, gendered impacts and youth inclusion as the nation frames its negotiating position in Belém, Brazil next month.

In a packed conference room with senior ministers, ambassadors, private-sector representatives and MPs, youth delegates set the agenda by demanding binding actions on climate finance, agricultural resilience and child-centred responses. Their advocacy won formal recognition when government representatives signed the national Declaration on Children and Climate Change following a UNICEF presentation.

There was a visible shift in influence from senior technocrats to youth delegates, who presented a consolidated youth position paper on Zimbabwe’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The document calls for explicit targets on youth employment, water access and disaster preparedness and will inform Zimbabwe’s official stance at COP30, organisers confirmed.

“Leaders at COP30 must ensure gender action plans prioritise girls and young women who face unique climate risks,” a 17-year-old delegate from Harare told the forum during a session on gender and climate justice. Her remarks echoed other youth speakers who linked climate impacts to education disruption, child protection and rural livelihoods.

Zimbabwe’s push to centre youth in climate diplomacy follows renewed national efforts to update the NDCs and expand adaptation financing. Climate advocates say youth-led inputs focus negotiations on practical national needs rather than abstract emissions targets. Dr. Tendai Marufu, a climate policy analyst, said youth participation strengthens policy relevance: “When young people map local risks, they expose gaps in policy design that officials often miss.”

Financial commitments and implementation challenges were flagged repeatedly. Youth delegates demanded transparent channels for climate finance and community-level access to funds, citing barriers for women and informal workers in rural areas. Government negotiators acknowledged the concerns and agreed to fast-track consultations on fund disbursement mechanisms.

Zimbabwe has historically prioritised adaptation due to its vulnerability to droughts, cyclones and agricultural shocks. The youth mobilisation ahead of COP30 builds on months of national dialogues and civil-society coordination aimed at aligning the country’s international commitments with local priorities. The Zimbabwe Climate Change Management Agency and partner organisations have worked with schools and youth groups to collect testimonies and technical input for the national submission.

“Leaders at COP30 must ensure gender action plans prioritise girls and young women who face unique climate risks.” — Youth delegate, Harare.

Zimbabwe’s youth have transformed the COP30 preparation process from a technocratic exercise into a people-centred campaign demanding measurable outcomes. Observers will watch whether commitments made in Harare translate into negotiators’ demands in Belém and into accelerated funding and programme delivery at home. Key questions remain over timelines for finance disbursement and how youth representatives will be integrated into the formal negotiating team.