The Annual National Youth Assembly on Climate convenes Thursday, 11th April

Minister Ryan and Minister O’Gorman convene National Youth Assembly on Climate for the third time.
The National Youth Assembly on Climate considers how the Government and people of Ireland can work together to make progress on climate action and makes recommendations to Minister Ryan to include in the Government’s Climate Action Plan.

Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman have convened the National Youth Assembly on Climate 2024, at Miesian Plaza, Baggot Street, Dublin 2.

The National Youth Assembly on Climate is a forum where young people aged between 12 – 24 years, from across the country, are provided with the opportunity to make recommendations directly to Government to inform the Climate Action Plan.

Approximately 70 young delegates from Comhairle na nÓg (Local Youth Councils), various youth organisations and climate organisations are contributing their ideas and recommendations at the Assembly.

The National Youth Assembly on Climate 2024 will focus on engagement, to provide youth input into the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications’ Year of Engagement campaign and the Climate Action Plan 2025

Speaking about the Assembly, Minister O’Gorman said:

“The annual National Youth Assembly on Climate provides an opportunity to include the views of young people in the Government’s action on climate change. Over the last few years young people have led the way in engaging Irish people on this vital issue. I am looking forward to hearing their recommendations today on how Government can be better at working with people across the country to make real progress on tackling climate change.”

Minister Ryan said:

"This is the third year that we have held the National Youth Assembly on Climate. At last year's event I had the opportunity to meet with and talk to the delegates, hearing first hand their concerns, their eagerness to take action, and how they felt that Government can work with them to deliver real and meaningful change.

"The role of the assembly has evolved year on year, and it is great to see the delegates themselves selecting the priority areas where they think we need to deliver urgent actions, including sustainable transport, the circular economy, and communications and engagement. Young people are our future. We don’t just have to listen attentively to their views but also act on what they see as important to help shape their world now."

“We recently launched Climate Actions Work – a new, first of its kind national engagement and communications campaign to support and encourage action on climate and community resilience over the coming year. I know this group of young people will continue to build on the momentum that is already happening right across Ireland, from bog restoration in Roscommon, to community energy in Cabra. Every place and every person matters when it comes to climate.”

Marwa, A member of the Youth Advisory Group that helped to plan the Assembly said:

“As young people, it's important that we have this conversation because we are the generation of the future, and the consequences of climate change will be faced by us. It's crucial that our voices are heard in this discussion as we offer fresh perspectives and innovation. One quote that always stays with me and serves as motivation is by Kaiser C.: 'If I can't be the sun that shines upon the earth, I can still be a lamp and light up my street.'"

A report detailing today’s discussions and recommendations will be published in the coming weeks.

ENDS//

Notes to editors

Details

The Youth Assembly on Climate 2024 has 74 delegates, 48 are sitting delegates who have attended previous National Youth Assemblies and 26 are guest delegates.

National Youth Assembly delegates range in ages from 12 to 24 years and come from all across Ireland, nominated by Comhairle na nÓg (Local Youth Councils) and by various established youth organisations and climate organisations.

A Youth Advisory Group of eight young people help co-design and co-facilitate the Assembly, and make decisions alongside the DCEDIY and National Participation Office.

National Youth Assembly on Climate 2023

This is the third annual National Youth Assembly on Climate. The Assembly last convened in March 2023 in Miesian Plaza. The Assembly’s recommendations to Minister Ryan included recommendations to improve sustainable transport by increasing routes to and from rural areas to major towns and cities, provide incentives to reduce car dependency and make active transport safer. The Assembly also recommended promoting the circular economy by imposing tariffs on fast fashion, financial incentives and legislation and the introduction of sustainability labelling. The Assembly called for improved Communications and Engagement by introducing education programmes and accessible communications campaigns. In addition the Assembly sought investment in renewable energy source and the end of investment in fossil fuels to reach 100% green energy by 2035. The Assembly recommended increased Government support for farmers through training, education, grants and incentives, making them part of the solution by 2030.

The National Youth Assembly of Ireland

The establishment of Youth Assemblies on a range of topics is a key commitment in the Programme for Government 2020. In 2022, DCEDIY established the National Youth Assembly of Ireland to meet this commitment and collaborates closely with other Government Departments on convening Youth Assemblies on specific topics. Recommendations are intended to inform Government policy on areas such as climate, digitalisation, rural development and other issues of importance to young people.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has committed in the interim Climate Actions 2021 to establish a Youth Climate Council as part of the new National Dialogue on Climate Action engagement model and annual Climate Action Plan consultations, to help support future dialogue with young people. DCEDIY collaborates closely with DECC to convene an annual Youth

Assembly on Climate to fulfil commitments in the Climate Action Plan.

DCEDIY collaborates with Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) to convene an annual National Rural Youth Assembly to fulfil commitments made in Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.

These commitments were made following consultations with young people on these policy areas, when young people consulted requested that the Government commit to ongoing involvement of young people in these policy areas.

The messages and recommendations made by a National Youth Assembly may also feed into citizen assemblies and other broader citizen consultations. Assembly delegates also take part in a range of associated activities and can represent the Assembly at events such as Stakeholder Forums, conferences etc.

More information can be found on Gov.ie

National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA)

Delivering on our climate ambition requires that the Government and the people of Ireland come together in a strengthened social contract for climate action and the co-creation of real solutions to these challenges. The National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) is led by DECC and delivers an annual programme, including broad public consultation, engagement activities, and robust social and behavioural research, to deliver this two-way dialogue and inform the annual Climate Action Plan and wider sectoral policy. It is comprised of Government Departments and Agencies, including the EPA, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), and the Local Authority sector, and also includes input from a wide range of experts, as well as insights from ongoing active engagement with stakeholders and the wider public. The National Youth Assembly on Climate is a key milestone in the delivery of the annual NDCA programme.

A comprehensive programme of engagement activities and research was delivered under the NDCA in 2021/22, including:

Climate Conversations 2022 (CC22), which serves as the annual public consultation on the Climate Action Plan, captured the views of over 4,300 members of the public through an online consultation; and engaged in a two-way dialogue with focus groups of populations who may be vulnerable to the transition to carbon neutrality; supported Public Participation Networks; and held expert interviews
Three National Climate Stakeholder Forum (NCSF) events, which took the form of deliberative workshops, reached over 300 stakeholders from a wide range of organisations to discuss climate action challenges and solutions
The first National Youth Assembly on Climate (NYAC) engaged over 40 young people, between the ages of 12 and 24, to capture their suggestions on how young people in Ireland can deliver climate action. The first NYAC Report was launched by Ministers Ryan and O’Gorman in November 2022.
The EPA CCIM study provided nationally representative data on the attitudes and behaviours of 4,000 members of the Irish public in response to climate change
The EPA Climate Conference 2022, Creating Ireland's Climate Future examined the vision for a climate-neutral and resilient Ireland by 2050, and how that vision will be achieved in terms of strategic planning for our built and natural environments
In April, the EPA Climate Change Lecture Series 2022 hosted Doctor Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University who presented on the role of the public, consumers and political will as enablers of climate action. In October, Professor Neil Adger of the University of Exeter presented on the risks posed by climate change, and those associated with investing in climate adaptation, exploring ways to ensure health and wellbeing are accounted for when planning for floods, as well as examining whether people are made healthier and happier by adaptation strategies
The NSBAG met three times to provide ongoing expert insight into research to help inform policy

The outputs from this programme have provided significant insights for Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23), sectoral policy, and the structure of the NDCA.

The National Youth Assembly on Climate represents a significant milestone in the NDCA programme .

This is the first major milestone in the yearlong programme of activities involving young people which include:

The delivery of a national public consultation on the Climate Action Plan.
The delivery of the National Climate Stakeholder Forum events.
Working with DCECIY and DFHERIS to build climate action into the national curriculum at primary, secondary and at third level.
Providing financial support and active participation in the programmes which support young people to cocreate and take climate actions including Green Schools, Climate Ambassadors, Young Reporters for the Environment, ECO UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards, GAA Green Clubs and others.

The National Participation Office

The National Participation Office (NPO) was established in 2021 within DCEDIY to manage and coordinate the activities of The National Youth Assembly of Ireland, Comhairle na nÓg (youth councils), Dáil na nÓg (youth parliament) and other related youth participation initiatives and structures. DCEDIY directs, oversees and supports the work of the NPO and collaborates with the Office on cross-Government engagement with The National Youth Assembly of Ireland, Comhairle na nÓg and other participation structures, stakeholder engagement and relationship building.