Nepal Youth Mark International Youth Day with Climate Action Campaign

Kathmandu: On International Youth Day, the Association of Youth Organizations of Nepal (AYON) and partners, including the Young Female Leadership Forum (YFLF), Youth Connection Center (YCC), National Youth Council (NYC), Greenpeace South Asia, government agencies, and local organizations, celebrated under the theme “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond.”

Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Hon. Prithvi Subba Gurung, attended as Chief Guest, praising AYON for empowering youth through knowledge-sharing, policy dialogue, and innovation platforms. Around 200 young people from diverse backgrounds participated alongside representatives from government, environmental groups, and educational institutions.

The day featured panel discussions, interactive sessions, and the ‘Sarees for Solidarity’ campaign, where participants wrote climate messages on traditional sarees to highlight the impacts of extreme weather and call out oil and gas corporations for driving the climate crisis. These sarees will be presented at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil.

The campaign is part of Greenpeace South Asia’s year-long Polluters Pay Pact initiative, which demands governments impose taxes or fines on oil and gas companies to fund climate damage recovery and labor justice.

“Sarees for Solidarity’ blends cultural heritage with urgent climate demands,” said Shikha Khetan of Greenpeace South Asia. “The world must listen to these voices and hold polluters accountable.”