What happened
COP31 held a high-level dialogue on children, young people and climate resilience in Antalya on its sixth day. The session formed part of the summit’s Youth and Education priority area and was supported by UNICEF.
Murat Kurum, COP31 President and Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, said UNICEF data show that about 1.1 billion children are exposed to three or more climate hazards. He also said climate-related events interrupted the education of more than 171 million students during 2025.
The meeting brought together youth delegates, UNICEF representatives, youth councils from international organisations and delegates from participating countries. Speakers also included Kushla Munro, executive director and head of negotiations for Australia at COP31, and Fitsum Assefa, Ethiopia’s finance minister and chief negotiator.
Kurum said the discussion was linked to 35 global electrification commitments. The voluntary initiative aims to raise electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035. He identified renewable energy deployment, resilient grids, storage and access to finance as central to that objective.
Why it matters
The discussion connects climate policy with the reliability of essential services. Kurum said dependable electricity can help schools remain operational, protect vaccines in hospitals and keep medical equipment running. He called for finance, technology and investment to reach communities with the greatest need, including schools, health facilities and water systems in vulnerable areas.
For governments, financiers and businesses involved in energy infrastructure, the remarks point to growing attention on how electrification and resilience investments affect education, health and basic services. Kurum urged governments to give children’s needs greater weight in climate and energy plans, and called on financial institutions and the private sector to invest in core services and youth education.
What's next
Kurum said the dialogue’s conclusions should be documented and commitments monitored. He invited Ethiopia, which is due to host COP32 in 2027, to carry the work forward. He also invited children during their school break to visit COP31’s Green Zone, including its youth and science activities.
