Exclusive to The Beiruter: UNEP engages young innovators in global climate strategy

After five days of intense negotiations, late-night drafting sessions, and heated debates, countries at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi have reached what officials are calling a “major achievement”: an agreement on the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Midterm Strategy and Programme of Work for the next four years.

In an interview, the Director of UNEP’s Climate Division described the atmosphere at UNEA as “multilateralism in action,” emphasizing that despite differing viewpoints, member states ultimately united around shared environmental priorities. “We are at the finishing line,” he said. “Countries have come together to agree on UNEP’s next midterm strategy. That is a major achievement.”

The negotiations stretched late into the night, with delegates meeting in small groups to debate terminology, and bridge political divides. What emerged, he said, is proof that “multilateralism in the space of climate action works and that’s what we have seen this week.”

Youth Inclusion: Progress Made, Gaps Remain

UNEP has established formal channels for youth participation within the assembly. The Children and Youth Major Group has the right to speak, contribute text to resolutions, and intervene during official sessions. This year, youth delegates were active across the week’s negotiations, shaping language on several resolutions and speaking directly in plenary.

“It’s a mechanism that works,” he said. “They have made their voice heard.”

But he acknowledged that more must be done, especially at the national level. UNEP, as an international body, is governed by member states; therefore, real influence also depends on youth engaging within their own domestic political systems.

“There is no single formula,” he said. “Each country has its own channels - national committees, advisory groups, youth councils. It’s important that young people use these mechanisms to make themselves heard in policy processes.”

A Growing Market for Youth-Led Climate Innovation

Beyond participation in policymaking, UNEP is also supporting young entrepreneurs who want to turn their climate ideas into start-ups. Through the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), UNEP runs the Youth Climate Innovation program - now in its fifth year.

The program helps young innovators build start-ups focused on climate resilience and low-emission technologies. It has already trained 674 young entrepreneurs, offering grants to projects ranging from drone-based solar plant maintenance to low-carbon cement mixtures and new financing models for sustainable agriculture.

“This is where climate action happens on the ground,” he said. “We’re involving the private sector, entrepreneurs, and innovators. It’s a very good way of engaging youth.”

The Rising Role of AI in Climate Work

Artificial intelligence - once a niche research field - is now central to discussions at UNEA. Asked about AI’s potential to support youth-led climate action, the Climate Director said young people may be the most equipped to lead this technological moment.

“Everything I know about AI, I learn from my daughters,” he joked. “Youth are naturally more savvy in handling digital applications.”

AI, he explained, can help visualize and analyze the massive datasets that underpin climate science - turning dense, technical reports into accessible, story-driven visuals that help communities understand the risks they face.

But with AI’s rapid expansion come risks. Ethical safeguards, transparency, and accountability frameworks are urgently needed not only in climate work, but across all sectors touched by AI.

“We are at the beginning of the AI revolution,” he said. “There must be safeguards in place. This is a debate that goes beyond UNEP’s mandate, but many bodies within and outside the UN are working to create a safe framework for AI applications.”

AI, Satellites, and Climate Action in Practice

One of UNEP’s clearest examples of AI in action is in tracking methane emissions. UNEP partners with 17 satellites to detect methane leaks worldwide. AI algorithms analyze the enormous data volumes to pinpoint emission hotspots. Alerts are then sent directly to governments and companies. The effort is driven in large part by young analysts.

“Many of our 65 methane analysts are young people,” he said. “They can handle these technologies better than my generation.”

What to Expect from UNEA’s Final Outcome

As UNEA wrapped up, negotiators prepared to endorse a raft of new resolutions. Among them are resolutions on glaciers, coral reefs, and significantly wildfires.

The wildfire resolution, he said, is particularly important because it elevates the issue globally at a time when drought and extreme heat are increasing the frequency and intensity of fires worldwide.

But above all, UNEP views the agreement on its Midterm Strategy as the assembly’s most consequential outcome, offering a clear roadmap for the agency’s climate and environmental work through the next four years.

A Message to Lebanon and the Middle East

For countries across the Middle East - where climate pressures are intensifying faster than the global average - UNEA’s outcomes resonate far beyond the meeting rooms in Nairobi. With a stronger focus on adaptation, resilience, and support for vulnerable regions, this year’s decisions arrive at a critical moment for communities already living with the realities of rising heat, water scarcity, and environmental stress.

The Climate Division Director underscored this point in his message to the region: “I think it is a region that is in particular vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, so our program on climate adaptation and climate resilience is of particular relevance to Lebanon and to the region. And we are ready as UNEP to engage with you on that issue.”