Students participate in discussions, interactive activities, and knowledge-sharing sessions during the Youth Climate Leadership Accelerator Project (Youth CLAP), as they deepen their understanding of climate issues and work toward developing practical, youth-led climate solutions.

The Climate Change Commission (CCC), in partnership with the National Youth Commission (NYC) and selected higher education institutions (HEIs), will culminate the Youth Climate Leadership Accelerator Project (Youth CLAP) with an Innovation Showcase featuring climate action proposals developed by participating students.

The Innovation Showcase will serve as the culminating activity of the pilot program, where participating students will present and pitch their finalized climate action proposals developed throughout the four-session Youth CLAP learning journey. The activity will provide participants an opportunity to demonstrate how they have applied their learnings in climate science, policy and governance, communications, innovation, and youth leadership to practical climate solutions.

Throughout the program, students participated in expert-led sessions, workshops, consultations, and project development activities designed to help them translate climate knowledge into concrete and locally relevant action. In the succeeding sessions, participants worked with mentors to refine their project prototypes, strengthen their Campaign Canvases, and prepare their project pitches for the Innovation Showcase.

The culminating activity will bring together the participating students and partner institutions as they present their proposed solutions and demonstrate the skills and insights gained through the accelerated learning experience.

Youth CLAP is designed as a complementary and fast-tracked learning experience that equips selected university and college students with a common foundation on climate issues while enabling them to apply their knowledge to challenges within their institutions and communities.

The CCC recognizes the important role of higher education institutions in creating spaces for climate learning, innovation, and youth leadership. Through Youth CLAP, participating students are provided with an avenue to strengthen their capacities and contribute practical ideas to the country’s climate action agenda.

The Innovation Showcase is an invite-only activity. However, the program will be livestreamed on the official Climate Change Commission Facebook page, allowing the public to follow the students’ presentations and learn more about their proposed climate solutions.

The Youth CLAP supports the country’s broader policy direction to strengthen meaningful youth participation in climate action. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023–2050, developed under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., recognizes young people as important stakeholders in building awareness, advocacy, and understanding of climate change adaptation, while emphasizing inclusive and meaningful stakeholder engagement.

This is complemented by Republic Act No. 9729, which mandates the CCC to promote broader multi-stakeholder participation and build partnerships with the academe and other stakeholder groups in advancing climate action.

Through Youth CLAP, these policy directions are translated into a practical learning and action platform for students, providing them with opportunities to strengthen their climate knowledge, engage with experts and mentors, and develop solutions that respond to climate challenges in their schools and communities.

For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities and partnerships, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.