LocationsMongolian Youth Discusses Climate Policies at 2025 Local Conference of Youth
June 24, 2025
Ulaanbaatar, 24 June 2025 – Climate Mongolia NGO, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Mongolia, organized the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Mongolia 2025 bringing together young climate leaders from across Mongolia to shape national climate policy and directly influence Mongolia’s global climate commitments. Endorsed by YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the event was supported by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through UNDP’s Climate Promise initiative.
Mongolia is on the frontlines of climate change, experiencing temperature increases at nearly three times the global average. The worsening impacts of desertification, drought, dzud, and biodiversity loss are threatening traditional livelihoods and ecosystems. Amid these challenges, Mongolia’s youth, who make up one-third of the population, hold untapped potential to play a meaningful role in shaping formal climate policies and driving sustainable solutions.
The conference featured an interactive workshops and policy dialogues focused on Mongolia’s climate targets and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) process, addressing sector-specific action planning sessions on critical areas such as energy, water, agriculture, education, and climate finance. The highlight of the conference was the development of a Youth Position Paper and a National Youth Statement, which will directly inform Mongolia’s revised NDC 3.0 and contribute to the global youth agenda for COP30 in Brazil.
“Mongolia is committed to an inclusive climate agenda where the voices of youth are heard and reflected in national policies,” stated Ms. Tsogzolmaa N, Director of the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. “We look forward to receiving the Youth Position Paper and exploring how these insights can strengthen our national climate commitments.”
The conference's innovative format combines education with direct policy engagement. Interactive quizzes tested knowledge of Mongolia's climate commitments, while facilitated workshops helped youth to map climate science connections and develop multi-level action plans spanning individual, collective, and government responses.
As part of its long-standing support to climate ambition in Mongolia, UNDP will provide technical mentorship to youth throughout the drafting process of the key documents, ensuring the outcomes are both grounded in science and reflective of youth priorities.
"Young people in Mongolia are living with the daily reality of climate change. Therefore, it is important that their voices are included in the policy conversations, as that will determine their future," said Mr. Firuz Saidkhadzhaev, Climate Finance and Development Economist of UNDP in Mongolia. "Through this conference, we hope to contribute to that by creating a direct pathway for youth to influence Mongolia's climate commitments and connect with the global climate movement."
“This is not about ticking a box for youth participation,” said Tselmeg Urtnasan, climate activist and LCOY Mongolia 2025 organizer. “It is about moving from being spoken for to speaking for ourselves. Youth, especially in rural communities in Mongolia, are already experiencing the disproportionate impacts of climate change. That is why we rolled out nationwide consultations, open to everyone, to ensure that all voices, especially those often left out, are heard. For LCOY, we have brought together a diverse group of youth, particularly from rural communities, including nomadic herder families and Indigenous groups such as the "Tsaatan" reindeer herders, to co-develop policy recommendations rooted in lived experience and traditional knowledge. Through LCOY, we are trying to create a meaningful entry point for young people to engage in national climate policymaking, especially as Mongolia revises its NDC 3.0 this year. We are gathering youth perspectives to draft policy recommendations for Mongolia’s NDC 3.0, and we are also drafting the National Youth Statement as the main outcome of the LCOY, to be submitted to our government.”
The selected youth delegate will represent Mongolia at COY20 and COP30 in Belém, Brazil, ensuring that Mongolia’s youth voices contribute to global climate discussions.
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