On 10 January 2026, UNU-IAS organized a debriefing session featuring youth participants of the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP30). The event brought together university students, including the winner of the Global Youth MIDORI Platform (GYM) 2025 speech contest, as well as high school students who took part in a youth programme organized by the UNU-IAS Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK). The participants shared their experiences at COP30 and discussed ways to turn them into concrete action.
Opening the session, Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS) introduced UNU-IAS initiatives for meaningful youth participation, including GYM and the youth empowerment programme led by UNU-IAS OUIK.
Shunta Igusa (Climate Youth Japan; CYJ) presented youth activities aimed at translating policy recommendations into implementation. Jiaxin Peng (The University of Tokyo Green Transformation Student Network; GXSN) emphasized the role of universities and students in climate action. Highlighting her GYM experiences that led to COP30 participation, Haruna Sakai (The University of Osaka; GYM 2025 participant) discussed the importance of long-term efforts. Miyu Hira (Kanazawa Nishikigaoka High School; UNU-IAS OUIK programme participant) noted that COP30 was a platform where speakers could freely express their opinions.
During the first of two panel discussions, Aoi Tachibana (Kanazawa University Senior High School; UNU-IAS OUIK programme participant) emphasized the need for intergenerational exchange to increase young people’s awareness of environmental issues. Reflecting on her COP30 experience, Mizuki Endo (The University of Tokyo GXSN) spoke of the encouragement that she felt when connecting with others who shared her passion for climate action, and highlighted the importance of addressing climate change through a human rights perspective. Ryo Kitagawa (CYJ) called for the inclusion of voices from the Global South and communicating scientific data in youth-friendly language. Yuki Wada (CYJ) shared her concerns that youth in Japan are less active after graduating from university, and should increase their participation in international conferences.
In the second panel discussion, Ms. Sakai observed that compared to other countries, Japan had fewer youth and female participants, as well as fewer job opportunities for new graduates in the environmental field. Haruno Tadokoro (CYJ) pointed out that environmental education in Japan tends to be passive and emphasized the need for schools to help students implement their ideas. Sunwoo Kang (Global Environment Outreach Centre; GEOC) noted that COP participation motivates young people to follow climate-related developments. Yoko Tomita (Programme Coordinator, UNU-IAS OUIK) stressed the importance of instilling critical thinking skills.
In closing remarks, Yuan Yoshinaga (AEON Environmental Foundation) stated that COP participation should not be regarded as the final objective, but rather as the starting point for action.
Concluding the session, Tshilidzi Marwala (Rector, UNU) thanked the participants and emphasized that UNU will continue to foster meaningful youth participation.
