UNICEF YuWaah to Amplify Youth Voices at Mumbai Climate Week

UNICEF India, in collaboration with convenors Project Mumbai and YuWaah, will lead youth engagement activities throughout the month, beginning in January, providing children and young people with opportunities to meaningfully inform climate action and policy discussions, according to a release.

Mumbai Climate Week is India's first city-led platform focused on accelerating climate action through citizen-driven solutions for urban resilience. It aims to translate global climate priorities into locally led action in the Global South.

Grounded in the recognition that the climate crisis is also a child rights issue, UNICEF India, YuWaah, and Project Mumbai will work together to bring the voices, experiences, and solutions of children and young people into the climate dialogue and on-ground action throughout the week, the release stated.

Speaking on the campaign, UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey said, "Children and young people are powerful agents of change. By placing children at the centre of climate solutions, we work with governments to invest in their rights and in a cleaner, safer future for all. Mumbai Climate Week gives young people a platform to lead practical solutions on challenges like e-waste - demonstrating how youth can drive climate action today."

Leading up to MCW, UNICEF YuWaah will organise Campus Climate Roadshows across select colleges in Mumbai from February 9 to 16.

The roadshow will feature a signature e-waste installation created under Special Campaign 5.0 of Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE, led by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The installation spotlights youth-led action on e-waste and responsible consumption.

By bringing the installation to college campuses, the roadshow aims to strengthen student participation in climate action and connect campus-level engagement with broader policy and civic conversations during Mumbai Climate Week.

To further advance youth-led climate solutions, UNICEF YuWaah is supporting the Youth Green Innovation Challenge, a national platform for young changemakers aged 16 to 24, as part of MCW.

The Challenge invites youth-led innovations across three themes: Food Systems, Urban Resilience, and Energy Transition. Selected innovators will showcase their solutions at MCW, engage with experts and policymakers, and explore opportunities for scale and sustained support, the release said.

Shishir Joshi, Founder and CEO of Project Mumbai, said, "The Campus Roadshow and Youth Green Innovation Challenge exemplify what MCW stands for: turning ideas into action through conversations that matter. By bringing these initiatives to college students, we are building a network of young climate advocates who will carry momentum beyond February and into their communities."

UNICEF India integrates Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability programmes across health, nutrition, education, WASH, and child protection. This includes climate-resilient health systems, heat and air quality action plans, climate-smart schools, and flood- and drought-proof water and sanitation services.

UNICEF also supports Mission LiFE and youth-led climate action through platforms such as , which has recorded more than 31.9 million pro-planet actions, and Maharashtra's Youth Engagement and Water Stewardship programme, which has reached over one million young people.

- ANI