In the lead-up to COP27 (December 2022), approximately 75 young people contacted the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) for financial and logistical support to attend COP – far more than ever before. Of these 75 youths, GAYO was only able to support six (6). This dramatic increase in interest led GAYO to investigate why so many young people want to attend COP and how these young climate activists can be supported – the basis for this report.

This research highlights young people’s motivation for wanting to go to COP. It also proposed recommendations that seek to promote meaningful participation by encouraging impactful engagement at COP or alternative platforms, enhance inclusivity by addressing financial, logistical, and informational barriers to participation, support informed decision-making by basing strategies on detailed research into motivations, experiences, and outcomes of youth and NGO participation, and decentralize opportunities by fostering regional climate events to complement COP and bridge accessibility gaps for youth climate activists.