Opening Remarks for Beate Trankmann

Held in parallel to the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

Date: 25 February 2026, 14:30-16:00

Location: Pacific Meeting Room, 4^th floor, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub

Distinguished partners and colleagues,

Young leaders,

Good afternoon.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this launch event for our report capturing Insights from Young Leaders in the Asia-Pacific Region on Navigating Climate Governance, which we are holding parallel to this year’s Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development.

2025 marked a pivotal moment for climate action as countries strengthened their Nationally Determined Contributions to keep the 1.5°- 2.0° C goal within reach. Through UNDP’s Climate Promise, we supported governments in raising ambition, embedding climate targets across key industries and sectors, and translating commitments into investment-ready plans.

Just as importantly, we worked to ensure that these climate pathways are more inclusive, grounded in whole-of-society engagements, and designed to protect the most vulnerable in accelerating progress towards a low-carbon, resilient future.

The climate decisions made today will shape the futures of young people more than those of any other generation.

And while young voices are increasingly visible in public spaces, they remain too often absent from the rooms where those decisions are made.

Here is one data point that illustrates this: “55% of youth operate outside of formal policy spaces but lead grassroots change every day.”

Against this background, the report we are launching today asks an important question: How do they move from the margins to the table, and what helps them stay there?

The findings are grounded in the experiences of more than 1,000 young people interviewed across 35 countries. They clearly tell us that they are ready to engage, but the systems around them are often not.

Many young people spoke about the barriers they face in accessing decision-making spaces and contributing in ways that are meaningful and continuous. These insights also reflect what young leaders told us during the Regional Youth Parliament on Climate Action Dialogue, convened here in Bangkok last year.

Youth leadership thrives when connections, capacity, and opportunity come together, when they are trusted as partners.

At UNDP, we believe inclusive governance is essential. Over the years, youth-led climate action through our Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP) has strived to reflect the realities, ideas, and initiatives of the generation that will live with its consequences the longest.

Today’s session is about listening to you, the young leaders, who will share your journeys and how institutions can evolve to work better with your generation of new climate leaders.

Moving forward, UNDP remains firmly committed to placing young people at the center of sustainable development efforts. Through our Youth Moonshot, we are strengthening the conditions for young leaders to shape progress by advancing civic leadership, innovation, and solutions that respond to real challenges.

While young people will drive the future, it is our shared responsibility to ensure they have the support, trust, and opportunities to do so.

To close, I would like to sincerely thank Sweden and our partners: UN Women through the EmPower Programme jointly implemented with UNEP, UNICEF, Climate Parliament, The Earth, World Assembly of Youth, and YECAP, for their continued support and shared commitment to youth empowerment in climate governance.

And to the young leaders: your voices matter. Your experiences matter. And your proactivity is already shaping our collective future.

Thank you, and I wish you a meaningful and engaging session.