Letters | Give Southeast Asian youth a formal role in climate decision-making
Readers discuss the need for an Asean youth climate envoy, the sustainability of claw machines, and Japanese war crimes
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with a group of students from the National University of Singapore who were visiting Jakarta. We spent the afternoon discussing climate and development challenges in Southeast Asia. What struck me most was not just how passionate they were, but how informed – in some cases, even more so than professionals I have met in policy spaces. And these students were not even in their final year of university.
This August 12 marks International Youth Day – a moment to recognise the power and potential of youth to shape our world. As the climate crisis deepens across Asean, it is time for governments to match young people’s energy with structural inclusion. One way to do this is by appointing a youth climate envoy at the regional level.
The UN already has a Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and a youth climate champion. Such positions serve to amplify youth voices and connect them to international negotiations. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, home to more than 380 million people under 35, has no equivalent role. That absence speaks volumes.
Creating a youth climate envoy would not be a token gesture. It would provide a channel for young people to participate directly in shaping the policies that affect their future. Across Southeast Asia, youth are leading tree-planting initiatives, climate education programmes and sustainability start-ups. They are holding dialogues and proposing solutions. A regional envoy could help coordinate these efforts and bring their voices to Asean climate meetings and global forums like the UN climate summit.