2026 Australian National Child and Youth Statement on Climate Change
Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) | Delivered under the umbrella of YOUNGO
The 2026 Australian LCOY was designed and led by young people from UN Youth Australia, Australian Youth for International Climate Engagement (AYFICE), and supported by UNICEF Australia.
LCOY is a youth-led process that enables children and young people to contribute to national and international climate discussions. Held in 112 countries, LCOYs are endorsed under the umbrella of YOUNGO, the official child and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The Australian LCOY is an opportunity to ensure that child and youth participation extends beyond the presence of a select number of young people at COP31 and associated climate events, providing a pathway for more voices to be heard in international climate conversations and negotiations.
Read the 2026 National Child and Youth Statement on Climate Change
The 2026 National Child and Youth Statement on Climate Change draws on contributions from over 1100 children and young people and was drafted through a youth-led process.
The Statement is more than a summary of consultations and survey inputs, it is a youth-led mandate for advocacy and action.
By reaching beyond the small number of young people able to attend international climate forums, the process provides a broader evidence base for Australia’s domestic climate policy and engagement with the COP31 Presidency, Australian negotiators and the Presidency Youth Climate Champion.
Drawing on the experiences and insights of children and young people across Australia, this report outlines practical recommendations and priority actions that can inform negotiations, government decision-making and domestic climate policy over the coming decade.
We call on the Australian Government to respond to this Statement through visible, accountable action.
“We experience, and see others experiencing, bushfires, floods, bleached reefs and communities confronting rising seas. Yet the connection between these visible impacts and the technical world of climate policy is often left unexplained or unaddressed… As Australia leads the COP31 negotiations, the National Child and Youth Statement offers a clear account of the future young people are asking institutions to help build.”
– Grace Harkins, Chief Youth Representation Officer (UN Youth Australia) and LCOY Core Organiser
