Youth is one of the largest demographics in the world — approximately one billion youth roam the globe today. The Youth Summit was established in 2013 by the World Bank Group, in partnership with the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, to provide a platform for the concerns of youth and empower young people to promote their ideas on development.
In December, the governments of more than 190 nations will meet in Paris to discuss a possible new universal agreement on climate change. Given the imminent risk that a changing climate poses, especially for the poor and the most vulnerable, the Youth Summit Organizing Committee (YSOC) has chosen to turn up the heat on this sometimes controversial subject.
Youth Summit 2015: Crowd-Sourcing Solutions for Climate Change takes place November 16-17 from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC.
The two-day event kicks off with an opening ceremony by notable guest speakers. A following plenary session will contribute to the Road to Paris ( UNFCCC COP21) conversation, by highlighting historical objectives that may be agreed upon at the conference and by discussing how implementation of those objectives could be realistically achieved. The day will also consist of stimulating workshops for attendees to engage in the following topics:
- Climate Finance for Transformative Action
- Green Energy
- Climate Resilience
- Green Buildings
- Landscapes
- Green Transport and ICT
The second half of Youth Summit 2015 invites the brightest young minds from around the world to use their knowledge and creativity to develop climate change solutions in a “Shark Tank”–esque live competition. A panel of experts will review proposals from teams of two to five people, aged 18 to 35. Winning teams will be awarded a grand prize to be announced. The goal of the competition is to showcase some of the groundbreaking, youth-driven solutions on climate change, demonstrating how young people have the passion and ideas needed to change the world.
Stay tuned for more information on the Youth Summit 2015 competition submission guidelines and rules.
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For more information about Youth Summit 2015 and the guidelines and rules for competition day, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2015/08/26/youth-summit-2015
Portions of the competition showcase will be streamed live and we invite all those interested in climate change and development to tune in by visiting: http://live.worldbank.org/wbg-youth-summit-2015
If you are interested in partnering with YSOC in any capacity, please contact Ines Gonzalez del Mazo, Partnerships and External Relations Co-Chair ( igonzalezdelmazo@worldbank.org) or Jewel McFadden, Youth Engagement Lead ( jmcfadden@worldbankgroup.org)
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