Young people in Burundi act for the climate: first Local Youth Conference held in Gitega

Ten years after the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 1.5°C, Burundian youth are asserting themselves as key actors in the response to the climate crisis. With only two months left in 2025, the symbolic year when global greenhouse gas emissions were expected to peak, Burundi held its first Local Youth Climate Conference (LCOY Burundi) on 29–30 October in Gitega.

Under the theme “Young people are not the future, they are the present of change,” LCOY Burundi brought together more than 100 young champions, entrepreneurs, and climate advocates from across the country.

Organised by the Youth Initiative for Climate and Development (IJCD) and supported by the Ministries of Environment and Youth, along with partners such as UNICEF, IOM, and UNDP, the event was honoured by the presence of Ms. Lydia Nsekera, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture; Mr. Liboire Bigirimana, Governor of Gitega; and Ms. Mame Selbee Diouf, UNICEF Deputy Representative. Each took the floor to encourage young people to remain committed to climate action and environmental protection.

According to Abischag Jitimay, founder of IJCD, the conference represents “a significant contribution to raising environmental awareness and promoting youth action.” She reminded participants:
“Burundi is not among the major polluters, but it is one of the most vulnerable countries to global warming. That is why our youth must get actively involved.”

Over the two days, participants engaged in workshops, panel discussions, and practical activities on reforestation, community sanitation, climate finance, green entrepreneurship, energy transition, and digital climate activism.

A key moment of the conference was the signing of the Burundian Youth National Declaration — a collective statement that will be submitted to the government. This document will serve as the basis for the advocacy by Burundian youth delegates at COP30, which will take place in Belém, Brazil.

For Diella Dieu Merci Iteka, founder and artistic director of Kayangana Innovation Art (KIA), a social enterprise specialising in creative recycling, the event was a powerful platform for collaboration:
“I came to meet other committed young people and contribute to the National Declaration. Together, we can influence decisions that shape our future.”

Young academics share this hope. Nizigiyimana Thierry, representative of the environmental club at the University of Burundi, called for greater inclusion of youth voices:
“The government rarely consults us on decisions concerning the environment, even though the impacts of climate change affect us directly. Thanks to this conference, we hope our voice will finally be heard at COP30.”

LCOY Burundi emphasised that the time for talk is over, and the moment for action has arrived. “Let’s admit our failure,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in an interview with The Guardian and the Amazonian news agency Sumaúma. His stark warning echoes analyses showing that national climate plans remain too timid to prevent even a temporary overshoot of critical warming thresholds.

In the face of this urgency, Burundian youth are taking action. By uniting their voices and efforts, they are making it clear that the current generation refuses to wait to protect the planet. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, they no longer see themselves as passive observers but as determined agents of change, starting now.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/28/change-course-now-humanity-has-missed-15c-climate-target-says-un-head