Hà Nội, from August 18 to 20, 2022 - More than 20 young participants from different provinces in Viet Nam gathered for the Youth4Climate National Writeshop organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE). The event aimed to discuss and propose solutions to climate change, particularly in light of the upcoming 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27).

The write-shop was timely, given the warnings of catastrophic climate change impacts detailed in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called "the red code for humanity." Business, as usual, would jeopardize the progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals and the ability of future generations to live in a sustainable environment in the coming decades.

Prof. Tran Thuc (Vice Chair of the Viet Nam Panel on Climate Change), Dr. Tang The Cuong (Director General, Department of Climate Change), and national and UNDP experts attended the write-shop. They discussed the Special Report on Youth and Climate Action, published in 2021 by the Youth4Climate Initiative in collaboration with MONRE, UNDP's Global Climate Promise, and the global youth climate movement. The report was written by a youth cohort in consultation with more than 1,000 young people. It identified the obstacles Vietnamese youth face in their climate action efforts and the accelerators to help eliminate these bottlenecks. The report gained political attention and was delivered to the president of COP26, Alok Sharma, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

During the write-shop, many concepts and actions were proposed and promoted, such as the Youth4Climate Learning Hub, the second largest accelerator to provide a virtual space for youth with accessible, reliable, and contextualized information on all climate-related aspects.

Mr. Tang The Cuong encouraged young people to update information more thoroughly and provided recommendations on what young people could do to contribute to addressing climate change. "The report needs to be more comprehensive so that UNDP and MONRE can present it at COP27 later this year. Young people must be dynamic and creative at the forum to collectively contribute to the response to climate change in Viet Nam, and participate in global youth forums," he said.

Mr. Patrick Haverman, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam, emphasized that "the government alone cannot win the race in response to climate change. They do need the support of society, including the youth, who in Viet Nam represents 23% of the population. Youth is a powerhouse for innovation and action!"

UNDP and its partners at MONRE are determined to foster an enabling environment for young citizens to participate in the transition to a greener and cleaner future. The write-shop is part of this effort, highlighting youth's crucial role in addressing climate change, achieving sustainable development, and building a better future for all.

For more information, please kindly contact:
Phan Hương Giang
UNDP CCE Media and Communications Analyst,
Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org; Mob: 0948466688