At COP30 in Belém, Bangladeshi youth leaders urged governments and global institutions to dramatically boost investment in youth-led climate solutions, warning that Bangladesh’s NDC 3.0 transition must be just, gender-responsive and inclusive of women, rural communities and frontline youth.
Bangladeshi youth leaders at the UN Climate Summit COP30 have urged governments and international institutions to dramatically scale up investment in youth-led climate solutions and ensure that policy commitments translate into equitable opportunities on the ground. Speakers stressed that Bangladesh’s transition under NDC 3.0 must be not only climate-ambitious but also fair, gender-responsive and inclusive of young people across rural, coastal and marginalised communities.
Their call came as negotiations continued in Belém, Brazil, where the future of global adaptation frameworks, climate finance and the architecture of a just transition remain among the most debated issues.
Held in the Amazonian city of Belém, COP30 has emerged as a focal point for urgent discussions on climate justice, equity and the future of green development pathways. Against this backdrop, youth inclusion took centre stage at a high-level Policy Lab titled “Youth-Led Pathways for a Just Transition: Skills, Jobs, Gender and Social Inclusion in Bangladesh,” organised by YouthNet Global in cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh and the International Labour Organization at the Just Transition Pavilion.
As Bangladesh moves forward with its Just Transition commitments under NDC 3.0, youth leadership remains essential for shaping pathways that generate decent green jobs, strengthen resilience and elevate grassroots expertise and innovation.
Opening the session, Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director of the Priority Action Programme on Just Transitions at the International Labour Organization, delivered a strong message linking climate ambition with social justice. “We cannot allow young people to bear the costs of a transition they did not create,” he said, calling the shift to environmentally sustainable economies “a social justice imperative.” He urged governments to expand decent green jobs, guarantee universal skills training, strengthen social protection and invest in youth-led innovation. “The transition will only be just when every young person has a pathway to opportunity, dignity and shared prosperity,” he added.
ILO reiterated its readiness to support the Government of Bangladesh in developing the NDC’s Just Transition implementation plan, incorporating full inputs from workers, employers and youth. The organisation also endorsed the creation of a tripartite task force to steer the national policy framework and ensure that NDC 3.0 delivers tangible benefits for both people and the planet.
Session facilitator Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, framed the discussion around the realities faced by last-mile communities. Presenting YouthNet’s Y-Just initiative with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, he stressed that youth must be at the centre of every element of Bangladesh’s NDC 3.0 implementation. “Bangladesh cannot afford a transition that excludes women, youth or last-mile communities,” he said. “A just transition must be shared across gender, generations and geography.” In his keynote speech delivered earlier in Belém, Sohanur also urged world leaders to adopt a dedicated international just transition mechanism, saying frontline youth are already carrying the heaviest burdens of climate impacts and deserve long-term structural support.
Youth delegates echoed the urgency of making green opportunities genuinely accessible. Afra Nawar Rahman of YPSA said young people are ready to contribute if Bangladesh builds systems that recognise their leadership. “Green jobs will grow when youth are treated as equal partners rather than passive beneficiaries,” she said, highlighting opportunities in renewable energy, waste management, agroecology and ecosystem restoration.
Rehanuz Zaman, ICCCAD Youth Fellow, said the expanding green technology sector remains out of reach for many rural youth due to lack of training and digital access. He pointed to significant pathways in solar installation, electric-vehicle charging, GIS mapping, circular-economy industries, climate-smart agriculture and community-based early warning systems. “If you open the climate data, expand digital access and establish climate-tech learning hubs, young people will innovate far beyond expectations,” he said.
Saila Sobnom Richi, Additional National Coordinator of YouthNet Global, highlighted the deep gender disparities intensified by climate impacts. “Women, girls and marginalised youth are hit first and recover last,” she said. She called for safe and accessible training spaces, gender-disaggregated data, stronger social protection and meaningful participation of women and youth in policymaking. “Gender is not only about women; it is about reshaping power structures,” she said. “Climate justice is ultimately about rights.”
ICCCAD Youth Fellow and Greenman Founder Md Al Imran Khan Rabby described the livelihood challenges of coastal communities facing displacement and climate-induced migration. “Many families are spending half the year working in brick kilns, one of the most hazardous environments,” he said. He added that the Sundarbans holds enormous potential for nature-based solutions that can generate green jobs and restore dignity for displaced families. He stressed that strengthening rural skills, improving funding access and supporting community innovation are essential for a fair transition.
Following the panel, participants joined detailed policy discussions on green skills, gender inclusion, climate-technology access and resilient livelihoods. Contributors, including ICCCAD Managing Director Saqib Huq, Youth4NDCs Executive Director Amanullah Porag, climate researcher Tasfia Tasnim and IUB Professor Dr Hafizur Rahman, presented recommendations ranging from national green-skills pathways and digital learning hubs to open environmental data, micro-grants for youth innovators and support for women-led and youth-led enterprises.
The policy lab also highlighted Bangladesh’s landmark commitment to a people-centred economic transformation. Bangladesh’s Just Transition plan, integrated into its updated Nationally Determined Contributions under NDC 3.0, is considered one of Asia’s leading frameworks for socially inclusive climate action. By prioritising workers, vulnerable communities and equitable benefit-sharing, the plan focuses on social dialogue, skill development for green jobs, social protection and ensuring that no one is left behind in the national shift toward a low-carbon economy. With this approach, Bangladesh is positioning itself as a regional leader in people-centred climate strategy.
AKM Sohel, Additional Secretary and Head of the UN Wing at the Economic Relations Division, emphasised the need for robust coordination. “For Bangladesh to achieve a just and inclusive climate transition, finance, policy and governance must work hand in hand,” he said.
Organisers affirmed that the recommendations emerging from the dialogue will feed directly into the NDC 3.0 implementation plan and the forthcoming Just Transition Framework, embedding youth-driven insights into national climate and energy strategies.
Closing the session, Sohanur Rahman reaffirmed that young people are prepared to lead the country’s climate future if systems are built to empower them. “We are ready to lead. These are the voices calling for a transition that is not only low-carbon but fair, inclusive and rich in opportunities for young people. The future green economy should be built with us, not for us,” he said.
