Youth led advocacy climate

This indicator measures the number of projects, initiatives  that are led by youth supported or accompanied by Tdh and that focus on climate change mitigation, adaptation, or/and advocacy.

Youth engagement is critical for sustainable climate action. This indicator tracks the empowerment of children and youth through active participation and leadership  in climate-related activities.

“Youth-led”: refers to projects, initiatives, or actions that are primarily driven and managed by young people. For the purpose of this indicator, youth-led activities should meet the following criteria:

• Age range: led by individuals typically aged between 15-24

• Ownership: the ideas, goals, and strategies originate form the youth themselves. They have ownership over the process and outcomes of the projects or initiatives.

• Leadership and decision-making: Youth are in key leadership roles and are the primary decision-makers. They are responsible for planning, organizing, and executing the activities.

• Participation: Youth actively participate in all stages of the activity, from conception through to implementation and evaluation.

• Empowerment: the activities are designed to empower young people, giving them a platform to express their views, develop skills, and take meaningful action on climate change.

“Projects, initiatives or actions”: refer to organized efforts or activities undertaken to achieve specific goals or outcomes related to climate and the environment. Each term encompasses different scales and types of activities:

• Projects: structured and often larger-scale efforts with specific objectives, timelines, and resources. Projects typically involve planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation phases. Examples include community renewable energy installations, reforestation programs, and climate education campaigns.

• Initiatives: broader or ongoing efforts that might not have a defined endpoint. Initiatives often aim to foster long-term change or awareness. Examples include ongoing advocacy campaigns, youth climate networks, or sustainability clubs in schools.

To be considered, the projects and initiatives must be led by children and youth with the support of Terre des hommes and be listed and monitored by Tdh through a project form/file (fiche de projet).

“Climate change mitigation, adaptation or advocacy” : refer to different approaches and strategies in addressing climate change:

• Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases and enhance sinks for carbon dioxide.

• Adaptation refers to adjustments in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change effects, aimed at reducing harm or exploiting beneficial opportunities.

• Advocacy refers to actions aimed at influencing public policy, raising awareness, and mobilizing stakeholders to address climate change issues.

• Ensuring continuous engagement, as well as accurate and comprehensive reporting from youth leaders.

• Potential variability in the scale and impact of different activities

• Do Tdh activities encourage the empowerment of youth to become agents of change through their own projects, initiatives, or action?

• Are the youth engaged with Tdh equipped to carry on their own projects, initiatives, or action? If not, what kind of skills and support do they need?

• How can Tdh build a model of co-construction (power-sharing) and thus better support youth-led initiatives in the contexts in which it operates?