The Regional Youth Parliament on Climate Action (RYPCA) is currently accepting applications. By utilising the vitality, ingenuity, diversity, and enthusiasm of young leaders in the Asia-Pacific area, as well as their wealth of firsthand knowledge and experience, RYPCA hopes to significantly impact and shape climate policies at the national and local levels.

By emphasising underrepresented sectors like National Adaptation Plans and National Determined Contributions, encouraging peer-to-peer lobbying interactions, and putting ambitious climate policy initiatives into action, it aims to build a platform to strengthen their participation in the formation of climate policy. This programme acknowledges the role that young people have played in advancing their nation's climate goals, and by gathering their experiences, it will be easier to develop ways to encourage other governments to swiftly establish formal policy frameworks that allow young people to be involved.

Goals

Increasing Youth Involvement in Climate Governance: Create the Regional Youth Parliament on Climate Action (RYPCA) to serve as a forum for significant youth leader involvement and engagement in climate governance, with a focus on growing their influence and role in Asia-Pacific climate-related decision-making processes.

To address the current issue of underrepresentation, concentrate on methods for raising the percentage of youth engagement in the creation and execution of ambitious climate policies, especially National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Develop and execute more ambitious goals within regional, national, and sub-national frameworks for climate policy by actively collaborating with senior lawmakers, ministers, and regional organisations.

Building Capacity and Empowering: Encourage peer-to-peer interactions within RYPCA to exchange experiences and lead conversations on successful lobbying tactics, all the while giving young leaders the tools they need to negotiate successfully on climate change. In order to reach a younger demographic (14–17 years old) who will soon be old enough to participate in Youth Parliament and other activities, this can involve working with Child and Youth Councils.

The objective is to advance inclusive climate governance by acknowledging and incorporating the distinct perspectives and contributions of the diverse youth demographic, a group that is heavily impacted by climate change. These youths should be recognised as key stakeholders, and their voices should be given significant weight and influence in the decision-making process. This includes those from marginalised and vulnerable groups that often find it difficult to access these spaces.
Recognise and honour commendable efforts by governments to improve youth participation in climate governance through the recording and celebration of noteworthy advancements.

Networking and Collaboration: Through RYPCA, young leaders in the Asia-Pacific region can create and maintain a vibrant network and platform for collaboration. This will not only enable continuous ideas, tactics, and experiences to be shared, but will also provide many opportunities for youth to interact in collaborative settings.

What is anticipated?

Fifteen youths, aged 18 to 35, will, for the first twelve to eighteen months, do the following: Address their underrepresentation in climate policies including NAPs and NDCs; Influence decision-making processes.
Engage in chances for networking, collaboration, and peer-to-peer learning.
Possess the abilities required for climate talks.