The Climate Change Commission (CCC), in collaboration with the National Youth Commission (NYC), partnered with selected higher education institutions (HEIs) to pilot the Youth Climate Leadership Accelerator Project (Youth CLAP), providing participating students with opportunities to strengthen their climate knowledge, develop leadership skills, and explore practical ways to contribute to a more transformative climate action.
The pilot session, held virtually on Aug. 15, brought students into an accelerated learning journey covering climate science, policy and governance, climate diplomacy, communications, innovation, and youth leadership, with activities designed to translate learning into practical climate action.
Youth CLAP was designed as a complementary and fast-tracked learning experience that provides selected university and college students with a common foundation on climate issues while allowing them to apply their knowledge to challenges within their institutions and communities.
Spanning four consecutive Saturdays at selected HEIs, the program combines four core modules and a Masterclass to help students engineer concrete climate solutions. It culminates in an Innovation Showcase where participants pitch their finalized proposals.
CCC Vice- Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje emphasized bridging the gap between climate awareness and concrete, multidisciplinary action led by youth.
“There are students here from different institutions, disciplines, and communities. Meet them. Challenge one another. Borrow ideas. Improve them. Build friendships and partnerships. One of you may understand the science. Another may know how to build the technology. Someone else may understand policy. Another may know how to communicate the idea so that people actually listen,” Mr. Borje said.
“Very often, the solution is not sitting inside one person. It emerges when different people learn how to think and work together,” he added.
The initiative forms part of the CCC’s continuing efforts to strengthen climate education and meaningful youth participation in the country’s climate agenda.
The participation of experts from different fields reflects the multidisciplinary approach of Youth CLAP, recognizing that climate action requires more than scientific knowledge but also leadership, communication, and engagement with communities.
The CCC recognizes the important role of HEIs in creating spaces for climate learning, research, innovation, and youth leadership. Through their academic institutions and organizations, participating students can help bring climate knowledge and solutions closer to their peers and communities.
The initiative also supports the government’s broader direction of strengthening youth participation and climate resilience. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050, developed under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., provides a long-term framework for building the country’s adaptive capacity and resilience. The NAP also recognizes the role of young people in shaping and implementing climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
The pilot initiative supports the CCC’s broader efforts to promote climate literacy, strengthen multi-stakeholder participation, and provide meaningful avenues for young people to contribute to building a climate-resilient, safe, and sustainable Philippines.
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