Scouting advocates for urgent climate action at COP30 in Brazil
Three young leaders from across the Interamerica Scout Region were on hand at the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, advocating for youth-led climate action and calling on world leaders to fulfil their promises for climate justice and resilience towards building a more sustainable future for all.
Pedro Jesus from Brazil, Isaura Rodriguez from Mexico, and Joaquín Parafita from Uruguay were at COP30 to represent Scouting, as the world’s leading educational youth movement, and to contribute to discussions around climate action and youth involvement in decision-making. Held in the heart of the Amazon, the event also provided an opportunity to strengthen strategic partnerships and champion evidence-based advocacy for a fairer, safer climate future.
What COP30 delivered, and what still needs to be done
COP30 discussions resulted in commitments to triple funding for climate adaptation in developing nations, and to step up support for workers and communities in the transition to clean energy. Major progress was also made around nationally determined contributions by Member States to the Paris Agreement. However despite the increases, current funding and nationally determined contributions still fall well short of what vulnerable countries and communities need to address the climate crisis, and the impacts of climate change continue to escalate quickly.
COP30 also achieved a sizeable shift in the number of countries including climate education as a mandatory requirement into their national education curriculums, with more than 150 countries now including climate education in their commitments to equip young people with green skills.
Since COP27 in 2022, World Scouting has been working together with the Climate Education Coalition to advocate for non-formal education to be recognised in national government strategies and used the opportunity during COP30 to engage with Mariana Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change with the Government of Brazil and Carol Simon, Ministry of Environment with the Government of Panama to continue to push for this acknowledgement.
Yet despite progress on climate adaptation and financing, COP30 failed to deliver a concrete roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. For young people and current generations already facing the harshest impacts of climate change, the lack of decisive action represents a continuing need to mobilise resources, hold world leaders accountable, and keep putting pressure on governments and institutions to realise systemic change.
Partnerships key to driving youth-led climate action
World Scouting also strengthened its role as a global advocate for climate education and youth empowerment during COP30 through a variety of partner engagements and by showcasing the impact of key initiatives.
Last year, World Scouting announced a new global partnership with UNICEF through their Green Rising initiative to engage young people as first responders to emergencies, and to provide psycho-social support and community integration for those displaced by conflict or climate disasters. At COP30, Scouts shared stories from community-led climate education and green-skills projects in more than 30 countries, reaffirming the role of non-formal education as a driver of youth empowerment.
Building on its long-standing collaboration with UNESCO, World Scouting addressed the 3rd Annual Meeting and Ministerial Roundtable of the Greening Education Partnership and supported the launch of the Greening Communities Guidance: Lifelong Learning for Climate and Sustainability Action, a practical framework to help cities and communities advance inclusive climate action through lifelong learning.
Alongside these initiatives, World Scouting engaged young people directly through partnerships and events. In collaboration with Escoteiros do Brasil, more than 100 local Scouts participated in cultural exchanges and learned about the COP30 process. Scouts also joined the UN Foundation’s Global Town Hall on intergenerational climate action and co-hosted a flagship event with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts at the Children and Youth Pavilion. These activities showcased youth-led climate solutions, promoted the Global Youth Mobilization programme, and reaffirmed Scouting’s commitment to equipping young people with the skills and opportunities to lead sustainability efforts worldwide.
Building on COP30 outcomes for the future
Building on the momentum of COP30, World Scouting is leveraging partnerships with UNICEF, UNEP, and UNESCO to embed climate literacy, green skills and green activism into its non-formal education programme worldwide. The active participation of youth representatives during COP30, culminating in the presentation of the 2025 Global Youth Statement, reaffirmed that youth voices belong in climate negotiations.
With COP31 set for Antalya, Türkiye in 2026, the Scouting Movement is ready to scale up climate education, community projects, and global advocacy - turning the promises of COP30 into real impact for today’s youth and future generations, while driving progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
