UNICEF and Partners Support 6 Youth Delegates’ Participation in COP29
Meet the six youth climate leaders representing Jordan in Azerbaijan.
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Together with Bank al Etihad and KOICA, UNICEF is supporting six youth climate leaders to take their local and national climate action to the Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Azerbaijan this November. Selected through a rigorous process by UNICEF, Generations for Peace, and the Ministry of Environment, these young people will be representing Jordan in the global discussions.
Name: Alaa
Age: 22
Hometown: Ajloun
Living amid the green hills of Ajloun in northern Jordan helped Alaa to appreciate nature and the importance of its preservation. She started engaging in greening activities and raising awareness on the importance of community driven climate action from an early age. What drives Alaa’s engagement in climate action, as she puts it, is the realization that the climate crisis is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to create positive change in every aspect of our lives. Alaa is currently focused on expanding the reach and impact of her initiative “Green Entrepreneurship” which aims to inspire and help other young people start sustainable entrepreneurial projects addressing local community needs.
At COP29, Alaa plans to engage in discussions with young people from different parts of the world around green entrepreneurship to share her experience and gain new practices that will help her elevate her initiative.
Name: Farah
Age: 24
Hometown: Aqaba
Farah, born and raised in Jordan’s coastal city of Aqaba, is passionate about Environmental and Social Governance. Over the past few years, she actively engaged in volunteering and climate action initiatives, including one on greywater recycling in public buildings and schools. She describes her participation in COP29 as “a responsibility for both sharing her experiences and ideas with youth and stakeholders from around the world and also learning innovative climate action solutions that can be localized in my local community and nationally.”
Name: Tala
Age: 21
Hometown: Karak
Tala, a university student, realized that the university campus provides valuable space for launching environmental initiatives and effective climate action. She is raising awareness among her peers on the climate crisis and the role of youth in addressing this for their future, including awareness raising campaigns in partnership with other student groups with the aim of changing behviours for reducing water waste and recycling. For Tala, participation at COP29 is an invaluable opportunity to learn about new tools and tactics related to climate advocacy and behavioural change.
Name: Mahmoud
Age: 20
Hometown: Ghour Al-Safi
Living in the southern Jordan Valley, Mahmoud has been observing first-hand the impacts of climate change on his region year after year. Rising temperatures, reduction of rainfall rates and the consequent effects on agriculture activities have made life more challenging for his community.
“There’s no middle ground today. There are only those who act against climate change and those who contribute to it,” Mahmoud says. Since 2017, he has actively participated and led climate activities and initiatives, including ones focused on protecting biodiversity in his region. Mahmoud is one of the youth climate leaders that will be part of the official Jordanian delegation going to COP29. Mahmoud expressed his excitement to meet other young people from around the world who share his passion towards climate action and also to bring international experiences to his hometown to help his community.
Name: Malak
Age: 24
Hometown: Amman
Malak has been a climate champion for several years now, where she participated in several youth-led activities and initiatives to address the climate crisis. Malak is currently managing her own project, “Sanaubar”, through which she has developed and conducted various trainings for youth, women and children on sustainability, environmental justice and green innovation. She aspires to expand and upscale her project to reach more people and cover more governorates across the Kingdom. Malak believes that Jordan’s young people have the potential, ambitions and drive to contribute to the global discussions at COP29 and more impactful and youth-led climate action.
Name: Mahmoud
Age: 21
Hometown: Zarqa
Mahmoud is a university student majoring in Agricultural Engineering. He has a strong passion for academia and actively seeks to boost his understanding of the multi-lateral root causes of the climate crisis and the latest technologies for sustainable solutions. He has a keen interest in the field of waste management and modern technologies to optimize recycling and expand the use of recycling-based products. Mahmoud is eager to actively engage with young people and experts from around the world at COP29 to learn about how innovation is being used globally to mitigate the impacts of and adapt to the changing climate.
