• The National Youth Assembly is made up of 30 Delegates  aged 12-24 years from all over Ireland. They will sit on the Assembly for the next 18 months and will discuss a variety of topics in these sessions
  • 10 guest delegates joined the Climate Assembly 2022 due to their particular interest and expertise in this issue.
  • Also in attendance were 4 members of the Youth Advisory Group who helped design and prepare this session and the assembly. They sat in on the breakout sessions along with the facilitators and provided feedback to the whole group

Step 1: establishment of a Youth Advisory Group

A Youth Advisory Group of 8 Comhairle na nÓg members was established to start the planning for the 2022 Youth Climate Assembly. The members represented the following Comhairlí from each of the four provinces: Cork City, Donegal, Galway County, Kildare, Mayo, Meath, Tipperary and Westmeath.

They met three times in total from November 2021 to January 2022

Background:

 What is the Youth Climate Assembly?

A Youth Climate Assembly will be a consultative forum on climate issues.  It will include young people between the ages of 12 and 24 and will facilitate inputs from young people to the Climate Action Plan.  The Youth Climate Assembly will also be represented on the National Climate Stakeholders Forum (NCSF)

Why do we need a Youth Advisory Group (YAG):

The establishment of Youth Assemblies is a commitment in the Programme for Government.  A Youth Advisory Group to do two things. Firstly to discuss the set up and design of the Youth Assembly and how they will take place in the future.  It is really important that we get the design of the Youth Assemblies right.

And secondly to pilot the methodology and test the questions for the upcoming Youth Assembly on Climate which will be held in February 2022.  The input from the YAG will ensure that the information for the event, the questions at the event and the methods used will lead to a very successful Youth Citizens Assembly.


Why do we want to hear young people’s views?

By hearing from young people and children, it will allow insight into some of the concerns facing young people and assist in the identification of potential solutions and actions. The Youth Climate Assembly will enable young people to bring forward priorities on Climate to the Department of Climate and Communications and will assist in the development of proposals or recommendations which can be explored as possible measures for inclusion in future annual Work Programmes to be delivered under the Climate Action Plan. The Department of Climate and Communications have made a commitment to take action on the young people’s recommendations (where possible).