Global Youth Climate Training programme by Oxford University begins May

Applications opened on Tuesday April 11 for the Youth Climate Training programme, a collaboration between Oxford Net Zero and the Global Youth Coalition (ONZ-GYC), an organisation of young people that supports youth-led climate action.

The training will begin on May 3, 2023 and will run 13 fortnightly sessions. It will cover key areas of discussion and negotiation within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) system. The training will give youth the knowledge and tools to engage in the UNFCCC system.

Alexis McGivern, Oxford Net Zero Fellow, is leading the programme alongside several youth activists from the Global Youth Coalition, leveraging the University of Oxford’s wide network of climate experts.

Several Oxford Net Zero researchers will be teaching on the programme, alongside researchers and practitioners from around the world. The programme has been intentionally crafted to prioritise expert Global South voices on climate issues. Each session will have interactive activities. A technical lecture by relevant global climate experts will be followed by a testimonial by a youth speaker from the climate justice movement.

The curriculum covers the areas of active negotiation at the UNFCCC. It was built by consulting 180 young climate justice activists who gave their input on what they most wanted training on.

The course covers a wide range of topics including: Climate Justice, Adaptation and Resilience, Climate Finance, Business & Non-state Actors, Climate Policy, Energy, Nature, Gender and Climate Change, Indigenous Rights and Climate Change, Climate Litigation and Negotiations Inside COP28.

A statement from Oxford University reads: “We will be periodically releasing the outcomes and insights gained from our interactive sessions, as chapters of a comprehensive handbook, in order to share our collective knowledge and progress with a wider audience.”

“This programme is an incredible opportunity to understand the UNFCCC environment and how you can make your actions and words count. The Global Youth Coalition together with Oxford Net Zero is bringing free access to profound and specialised knowledge from expert speakers and trainers. This will give you the tools to navigate the complex technical language of topics discussed at COPs. Join us!” Agustin Ocaña, GYC Chairman, said.

In order to make this course as accessible as possible, the course is free of charge. The joint ONZ-GYC team are also working to deliver live translation in several languages, and will have interventions from experts in languages other than English. Sessions are recorded to allow for maximum participation across time zones.

Registration is open to anyone under 35 engaged in the climate movement. Previous experience in UNFCCC processes or climate discussions is not required! Applicants should note that they also do not need to be planning to attend COP28 to apply. These insights are highly transferable to national climate policy.