Riding the change: Youth at the intersection of climate, peace and security

The connections between climate, youth, peace and security are gaining increasing importance in global policymaking and research, highlighting the close interdependencies between sustainability, conflict and the role of youth engagement. This article examines the challenges faced by young people who engage in climate action and/or peacebuilding, outlines innovative youth-led responses and maps out a shared path that positions young people not only as passengers on the journey, but as central actors at its core.

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1. Introduction

Imagine trying to ride a bicycle with a broken chain. The wheels spin, but you do not move forward. Or worse: the brakes are locked, and every time you try to move ahead, something stops you. This is exactly how many young people feel today, especially those engaged in climate and peace work. They are pedalling hard, full of energy and determination, but the systems meant to support them – political frameworks, resources and platforms – do not always function. Still, young people do not give up.

The bicycle itself is a powerful metaphor for the youth climate movement: sustainable, dynamic and capable of navigating difficult terrain. In climate policy, this terrain includes conflict, inequality, adultism, shrinking civic space and climate disasters. And just as a bicycle needs a functioning chain, young people need functioning political, economic and social systems to transform their energy into real progress. Without inclusive policies, sufficient funding for youth-led initiatives and genuine recognition of their voices, the journey comes to a halt. No amount of motivation can replace a broken chain, and without adequate infrastructure even the strongest cyclists struggle to reach their destination.

This struggle reflects a broader global reality. Climate change intensifies resource conflicts, drives displacement and deepens inequalities. It increases food insecurity, water scarcity and contributes to conflict (Traif et al., 2023). At the same time, we currently have the largest youth population in history (United Nations, 2022) – a generation that is both heavily affected by climate disasters and insecurity, but also capable of driving change (Gaston, 2025).

This is why the Climate, Youth, Peace and Security (CYPS) nexus is emerging as a key agenda in policy and research. It recognises the interconnections between environmental sustainability, conflict dynamics and youth participation, aiming to place young people at the centre of solutions. This article explores these connections, highlights innovative youth-led responses and calls for the meaningful inclusion of young voices in decision-making. The urgency is clear: as climate-related crises become more frequent (IPCC, 2023), continued exclusion of young people is no longer just a missed opportunity – it is a serious risk we cannot afford.

 

2. Understanding the CYPS nexus and key frameworks

a) Youth and climate

The lack of meaningful opportunities for youth participation in climate policy stands in contrast to the leading role young people play in the global climate movement, as seen for example in Fridays for Future and many youth environmental organisations. From mass climate strikes in capital cities to local youth climate groups, young people are not waiting on the sidelines; they are driving urgent and transformative change. One example is the Hamburg Future Referendum, a groundbreaking initiative in which young people directly influenced the city’s climate policy and secured ambitious emissions reduction targets. This initiative demonstrates the power of young people, even at a time when climate protection is rarely in the news and political inertia is growing.

Young people are already disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change and will be even more so in the future, as they bear the consequences of decisions often made before they were born and without their participation. Therefore, addressing youth and climate together is a question of intra- and intergenerational justice and more broadly of climate justice (Sloan et al., 2024).

Key international frameworks emphasise the importance of youth inclusion in climate policymaking. The UN strategy Youth 2030, launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2018, highlights the integration of young people across all areas of UN work, including climate action. It is currently being implemented by 55 UN entities and 132 country teams (UN, 2025a). These commitments must be translated into action, for example through youth participation platforms in ministries and parliaments and through greater inclusion of youth delegates at international climate conferences. Young people are not a future promise – they are a present force.

 

b) Youth, peace and security

Climate change, conflict and insecurity disproportionately affect young people. They often make up the majority of those recruited into armed groups, displaced from their homes or denied access to basic services (UN, 2025b). Yet young people are not only victims of conflict, but also key actors in peace processes.

This recognition is embedded in the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, established through UN Security Council Resolution 2250 in 2015. It is built on five pillars: participation, protection, prevention, partnerships, and disengagement and reintegration (UNSC, 2015).

The YPS agenda will mark its tenth anniversary in December 2025 and was reaffirmed in the 2024 Pact for the Future (UN, 2025c). However, meaningful impact depends on national implementation, such as National Action Plans (NAPs). So far, only a few countries have introduced such plans, including Finland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kern, 2025). NAPs are essential to systematically embedding youth participation in peace and security.

 

c) Climate, peace and security

Climate change increasingly threatens peace and justice. It acts as a threat multiplier by intensifying existing vulnerabilities and fostering instability, particularly in fragile contexts (Traif et al., 2023; Gaston, 2025). Impacts vary depending on the social, economic and political environment (Van Baalen & Mobjörk, 2018; Kero, 2024).

Extreme weather events such as floods and droughts lead to humanitarian crises, resource scarcity and conflict. Water scarcity can exacerbate conflict and food insecurity, especially in regions dependent on agriculture (Traif et al., 2023). This contributes to poverty, inequality, marginalisation and unrest.

Climate change also drives migration and displacement (McLeman, 2019). It weakens institutions, erodes trust and destabilises political systems. Marginalised groups and countries in the Global South are particularly affected, despite having contributed least to climate change (Fridays for Future, 2021).

Many of these countries lack the financial resources for adaptation and loss and damage (Dafemos, 2025). Financing is therefore a question of global justice and colonial responsibility (BUNDjugend, 2024). Overall, a cycle of insecurity and instability emerges that makes peace harder to sustain.

 

d) CYPS – opportunities and challenges

The CYPS nexus recognises the interconnection of these areas. Young people bring new perspectives, strengthen social cohesion and contribute to conflict prevention (Gaston, 2025). At the same time, climate risks are global and require transnational solutions (Bunse et al., 2022).

A key challenge is fragmented policymaking. Youth are often seen as a future group rather than present actors. Marginalised groups face additional barriers (Kero, 2024).

Major obstacles include lack of funding, violence against activists, lack of trust, intergenerational injustice, representation and language barriers, and gaps in knowledge (Khèdr, Mosello & Cucinotta, 2025).

 

4. Conclusion: Youth as actors of resilience and peace

The intersection of climate crisis and conflict is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Young people are at the centre of these crises, but also central to developing solutions.

So when someone asks whether young people are ready to lead, the answer is: they already are. We have been riding this bicycle for years – uphill, through storms, and often without support. What is missing is not ideas, but functioning systems, resources and real support.

We must stop expecting young people to repair their bicycles alone. We need to ride together.

 

 

Der/die Autor:in ist für den Inhalt des Artikels verantwortlich. Der Beitrag gibt nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung der Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung wieder.

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