Zambia’s young climate advocates are set to take center stage this July, as organizers put the finishing touches on LCOY Zambia 2026, the country’s Local Conference of Youth on climate change. Scheduled for July 29–31, the gathering will bring together an anticipated 250 young delegates from across the country for three days of dialogue, policy work and youth-led advocacy on the climate crisis.
Officially endorsed by YOUNGO, the children and youth constituency of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, LCOY Zambia 2026 is organized under the banner of the Zambia Climate Change Youth Task Force — a coalition of eight youth-serving organizations working together to ensure Zambian voices carry weight in the global climate conversation. The coalition includes YPDP, ACF, YEFI, YUNA, RYP, CCCAA, Citizens Network For Community Development Zambia, and Children’s Climate Council – Care for Nature Zambia.
The conference carries the tagline “From Local Action to A Just Global Climate Influence,” reflecting its central ambition: to translate grassroots climate concerns into a formal document capable of shaping international negotiations. Over the course of the event, delegates will work to draft and adopt a National Youth Climate Position Paper, capturing the priorities and demands of Zambia’s youth on issues ranging from adaptation and resilience to climate justice.
That position paper won’t stop at Zambia’s borders. Organizers have mapped out a clear pathway for the document once the conference concludes: it will be formally submitted to Zambia’s UNFCCC Focal Point and the YOUNGO Global Youth Representative, before being carried forward to COY22, the 22nd global Conference of Youth. From there, Zambian delegates will see their input feed into the broader Global Youth Statement presented at COP31, the UN’s next major climate summit, set to take place in Antalya, Türkiye.
The initiative reflects a growing recognition that young people — who will live with the long-term consequences of climate decisions made today — deserve a direct hand in shaping those decisions. Organizers have described the event as more than a one-off conference, framing it instead as the first link in a chain connecting local Zambian voices to the highest levels of international climate policy.
With just weeks remaining before the conference opens, the Organizing Committee is finalizing delegate selection, programming and logistics, with further details expected to be announced closer to the event.
