Young people across Latin America and the Caribbean have released a powerful regional declaration calling for urgent, inclusive, and justice-driven action to confront the escalating environmental and climate crisis. The Youth Declaration on the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean reflects the voices of adolescents and young adults from 18 countries, gathered through extensive consultations and an in-person meeting organized under the Latin America & Caribbean Youth Environment Forum (LACYEF) LAC Youth Statement (English).

Rooted in the lived realities of the region’s diverse youth—including Indigenous communities, Afro-descendants, migrants, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ young people, and those from both rural and urban settings—the declaration highlights the urgency of a crisis that is already reshaping ecosystems, livelihoods, and public health across the continent LAC Youth Statement (English).

A Collective Effort Representing the Region’s Diversity

The consultation process was convened by the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG), the United Nations Environment Programme’s official youth engagement mechanism, representing over 1,800 organizations and 12,000 individual members worldwide. The final declaration captures and systematizes 362 contributions gathered through dialogue spaces and collaborative reflection across the region LAC Youth Statement (English).

Participants emphasized that Latin America and the Caribbean, despite their immense natural and cultural wealth, remain among the regions most affected by environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and the impacts of climate change. Yet they also stressed the invaluable role of ancestral knowledge, community resilience, and youth leadership in shaping sustainable solutions LAC Youth Statement (English).

Key Environmental Concerns Raised by Youth

The document outlines six major challenges that young people see as urgent priorities for action:

Widespread pollution of air, water, and soil driven by plastics, waste mismanagement, and urban emissions.
A deepening water crisis rooted in scarcity, contamination, and poor wastewater treatment.
Accelerated deforestation, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem destruction linked to extractive industries and agricultural expansion.
Ineffective waste management and slow progress toward circular economy models.
Intensifying climate impacts such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves that disproportionately harm vulnerable groups.
Weak environmental institutions and insufficient inclusion of youth in governance and decision-making processes.
LAC Youth Statement (English)

Demands for Transformative Action

Youth from the region are calling for decisive steps from governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Their demands include:

Universal and culturally relevant environmental education.
Binding mechanisms that ensure youth participation and representation in policy decisions.
Stronger public policies to regulate pollution, safeguard ecosystems, and deliver climate justice.
A just transition toward renewable energy and sustainable mobility.
Restoration and protection of critical ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, rivers, and marine environments.
Transparent climate financing that reaches communities and youth organizations.
Protection of vulnerable groups to ensure no one is left behind.
LAC Youth Statement (English)

Youth Commitments to Lead Change

Beyond their demands, the young people of Latin America and the Caribbean also articulate their own commitments. They pledge to:

Strengthen regional mobilization for collective climate solutions.
Promote environmental education and climate action within their local communities.
Advocate for social, environmental, and climate justice across all spheres of influence.
LAC Youth Statement (English)

A Clear Call to Action

The declaration closes with a strong appeal: genuine and lasting environmental solutions cannot be achieved without the meaningful involvement of youth. Governments, institutions, and all sectors of society are urged to work side-by-side with young people to implement urgent, effective, and equitable responses to the climate and ecological crisis.

As the declaration states, the voice of youth is both present and future—there can be no sustainability or climate justice without them LAC Youth Statement (English).