Yi Hyun Kang

Based on an ethnographic survey of the 26th Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this article analyses the ways in which youth participate in climate negotiations. We show how youth actors are characterised by diverse modes of engagement, and particular sociodemographic anchors. Presenting themselves as the voice of youth worldwide, youth actors have gradually constructed their “youth” identity. They commonly show a strong ambition on climate issues, but at the same time, they recognize their relative inexperience in negotiations, resulting in the reinforcement of their marginalisation. While some interactions exist between young activists and institutionalised youth, their precarious positions produce tensions. To make themselves heard, the institutionalised youth invest massively in education and inclusion issues, at the expense of strong positions on other issues. Disappointed with the process, youth activists favour more radical critiques of the current economic system and the modalities of the negotiations. Despite the tensions, young people, atypical actors in international negotiations, collaborate by creating new political dynamics in international climate politics.