Voices from the Frontlines: What Asian Youth Are Fighting For at COP30 🌏
Written by Anukriti Sharma
Asia is a land of contrasts. Ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, dense megacities sit alongside vast rural landscapes, and some of the world's most vulnerable communities exist next to its fastest-growing economies. It is also where climate change hits hardest.
Asia, home to more than half of the world’s population, is the continent with the largest youth demographic. They are already on the frontlines of climate change, living with its impacts daily and innovating solutions in their communities. Their perspectives are critical to shaping meaningful action. COP30 in Belém, Brazil, offers a space for these young leaders to bring local experiences directly into global discussions. They inherit both the crisis and the need to solve it.
As world leaders debate and negotiate at COP30, Asia's youth stand at a critical juncture. To understand their perspectives, AEYN spoke with several of Asia’s youth delegates at COP30.
Read on to discover what they’re tracking at COP30 and what they hope will change for their communities.
The Heat of the Moment
The facts are alarming. Asia is heating faster than any other continent. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average. Sea surface temperatures in 2024 reached unprecedented highs. Marine heatwaves have devastated fisheries, coral reefs, and coastal livelihoods. Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at accelerated rates, while floods and droughts impact lives and livelihoods across the continent.
These events are not isolated. They ripple through economies, ecosystems, and societies, threatening development gains that took decades to achieve, as well as threatening the future of the next generations. So, for young climate leaders across Asia, the stakes are intensely personal.
Ricky Yeh-Tang Huang (26), a Taiwanese climate advocate and founder of Climate Era Catalyst, explained: “If I don’t devote my time and energy into climate, I don’t know why I’m alive. This is literally the most important and serious issue humanity has ever faced.”
His team works to push public investment and incentives to accelerate electrification, resilient microgrids, and renewable energy. They are lobbying for political candidates to include these policies in campaigns across cities and counties.
Moving From Awareness to Action
Some Asian delegates at COP30 drew inspiration from the landscapes they grew up in. Others found it in the communities and cultures around them. Books and ideas challenged some to think differently. And mentors and guides helped steer them toward climate action.
Ho Wei Liang (26), from Johor, Malaysia, drew inspiration from lived experiences in a flood-prone coastal region. “Growing up in Johor, a coastal region prone to flooding and rapid urbanization, I saw firsthand how communities are affected by environmental changes. Malaysian values of gotong-royong, or community cooperation, guide my approach to climate justice, emphasizing collective action to protect both people and the planet.” Wei Liang is a technologist and social innovator striving to connect youth across his region to deploy artificial intelligence for climate action and sustainable development.
Ricky recounted how a book called No Impact Man inspired him during his university years. “It was the first time I was exposed to the idea of positive feedback loops. In the Earth system, there are feedback loops that could exacerbate the climate crisis, and people know shockingly little. The scenario we’re expecting now might be much rosier than reality.” That realization propelled him to audit climate classes, join environmental groups, and eventually pursue a Master’s in Sustainability Science and Practice.
For Aya Mousa (27), founder of AURACAP™ in Jordan, climate action is about survival. “In a culture shaped by Bedouin traditions, where every drop of water is respected, I learned that sustainability is not just science; it’s survival. That mindset fuels my focus on climate justice – ensuring that developing nations have fair access to technologies like AURACAP™, rather than being left behind by expensive global transitions.” Her climate-tech platform, AURACAP™, captures and analyzes atmospheric carbon auras, making emissions monitoring scalable and affordable for industries in the Middle East.
COP30 Through Youth Eyes
Attending COP isn’t just a line on a résumé or a chance to be seen. For these young delegates, it is a test of whether global negotiations can reflect the urgency, creativity, and lived realities of the people they represent.
Junsoo Chung (21), Chief of Staff for Boston College’s COP30 delegation, reflected: “Global negotiations often move slowly, but I see value in how they create frameworks for cooperation and legitimacy for local action.”
So Tsujita (26), from Japan, added a technological lens. “Technology, especially data and AI, can accelerate climate solutions if used inclusively. The opportunity lies in connecting Asia’s growing tech capacity with youth-led climate innovation – transforming digital transformation into decarbonization.” So is an AI Workforce Specialist at Microsoft Japan, and a core member of Climate Youth Japan (CYJ).
Inside the Negotiations: What Asian Youth Are Tracking at COP30
COP30 operates across multiple negotiation tracks, each addressing different aspects of climate policy, finance, and implementation. These young delegates have identified the specific mechanisms and frameworks most relevant to their work and regions. Their focus areas reveal where global climate architecture intersects with local realities, and where gaps remain.
Energy Supply Chains and Regional Partnerships
Ricky Huang will focus on energy supply chain restructuring across the Asia-Pacific. "I'm really looking forward to connecting with people from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and thinking about how Taiwan's advantage in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing can help other countries in their decarbonization pathways."
Beyond partnerships, he wants to decode COP itself: how negotiations move, where decisions solidify, and when influence takes hold. He's also watching how climate gets reframed in national contexts. "One thing we're experimenting with in Taiwan is how we almost 'declimatize climate.' If we can reframe climate as national security, economic development, or housing affordability, I feel there are new opportunities to push policies or mainstream technologies."
Progress on Renewables and NDC Commitments
To set some context, let’s talk about the Global Stocktake. The global stocktake is a process under the Paris Agreement that periodically reviews collective progress toward climate goals. It helps with identifying gaps and informing future action.
The first Global Stocktake at COP28 established targets that will define energy negotiations at COP30: tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. These goals address a fundamental problem, since the energy sector accounts for 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. So, transitioning away from fossil fuels is perhaps the most urgent measure to slow down further warming.
From what it seems, COP30 energy discussions are now shaping up around a split picture. A quick snapshot of where progress stands and where the main shortfalls remain is outlined below.
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Progress: 2024 saw a third straight year of record additions. Solar PV is on track to meet or exceed 2030 needs for a 1.5°C pathway.
Gaps: Global trajectory is at 2.7x growth by 2030 instead of the agreed 3x.
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Progress: About 90% of new NDCs include renewable expansion; 75% outline steps to shift power away from fossil fuels.
Gaps: Many plans lack sufficient scale and detailed implementation pathways.
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Progress: Targets are recognized as essential in the COP28 package.
Gaps: Efficiency improvements remain around 1% per year instead of the needed 4%.
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Progress: Global clean energy investment continues to rise.
Gaps: Only ~15% of clean energy finance reaches emerging and developing economies.
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Progress: Current commitments lower emissions by 19–24% below 2019 levels by 2035.
Gaps: Still insufficient to align with a 1.5°C pathway.
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Progress: Updated NDCs and the COP30 Action Agenda offer mechanisms to organize action.
Gaps: Major need remains to translate these into concrete finance, deployment, and coordination.
Ricky Huang's thoughts on connecting Taiwan's manufacturing capacity with neighboring countries reflects this implementation challenge. Regional supply chain restructuring can turn clean energy from an import-dependent model into a locally driven industrial opportunity across the Asia-Pacific.
Technology Transfer and Carbon Markets
An interest in systems and transparency encourages So Tsujita to track the Global Stocktake and Article 6 carbon markets. COP30 marks a critical moment: countries must convert the findings from the first Global Stocktake into stronger national commitments. For So, this is critical. "I am particularly interested in how digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems and data governance can enhance transparency and equity in these mechanisms," he explained.
MRV systems track and confirm greenhouse gas emissions and reductions. These systems give governments and organizations transparent, reliable data to monitor progress, guide climate strategies, and ensure credibility in carbon markets.
Furthermore, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which governs international carbon trading, remains one of the most contentious areas of negotiation. The rules determine whether carbon markets accelerate real emissions reductions or simply shuffle credits between countries. So sees digital monitoring systems as essential to preventing greenwashing and ensuring that Asia's developing economies can participate fairly without being exploited by wealthier nations gaming the system.
Aya Mousa shares this concern and adds a focus on capacity and inclusion. She will track technology, MRV, and climate finance, paying attention to how COP30 addresses technology transfer for developing countries. MRV systems remain expensive and often inaccessible in much of the Global South.
"I'm particularly interested in sessions exploring carbon capture, atmospheric monitoring, and digital transparency systems, as they align with AURACAP™'s mission to make emission tracking more accessible for developing economies," she said.
Beyond monitoring, Aya will be following youth and innovation pavilions to see whether COP creates meaningful pathways for climate entrepreneurship or simply celebrates innovation without structural support.
Adaptation Finance and Urban Resilience
Ho Wei Liang shares that focus on digital transformation, but his attention turns toward adaptation finance and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility. While mitigation dominates headlines, adaptation finance determines whether vulnerable communities can actually survive climate impacts.
The Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a Brazilian-led initiative, proposes direct payments to countries for keeping forests standing. For Wei Liang, this represents a model where nature-based solutions meet accountability. "I'll be following discussions around AI for urban resilience, adaptation finance, loss and damage, and youth-led innovation. I also plan to engage with side events focusing on technology for sustainable cities and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)."
At COP30, negotiations around the New Collective Quantified Goal will also set new finance targets beyond the unfulfilled $100 billion pledge. Wei Liang is tracking how AI and data-driven governance could make adaptation funding more effective and accessible, particularly for urban centers in Southeast Asia facing floods, heatwaves, and sea-level rise.
Investing at Scale
Junsoo Chung is narrowing his lens to climate finance mechanisms that could unlock capital at scale. He'll track developments around Alterra, a $30 billion climate fund launched by the UAE, and the Green Climate Fund, which channels resources to developing countries.
COP30's finance negotiations will determine whether public climate funds can mobilize private investment effectively, or whether the Global South continues to shoulder debt for a crisis that was created by global actions.
"I'll focus on climate finance and developments in the sustainable investing sphere," Junsoo said, watching for frameworks that could guide South Korea's industrial partnerships toward genuinely low-emission growth.
Health Across All Tracks
Harshita Umesh (25), a medical doctor and the founder of Vaada Hope Foundation in India, takes a different approach entirely. She isn’t following a track. Instead, she moves across negotiations on Loss and Damage, Gender, and Finance, monitoring how health surfaces in each.
Loss and Damage refers to the irreversible harms caused by climate change, beyond what adaptation can address. A fund for responding to Loss and Damage, established at COP28, is still being operationalized.
Harshita will watch whether COP30 negotiations acknowledge health. These conversations include looking more closely at systems collapsing under climate stress, disease patterns shifting, and healthcare workers being overwhelmed by cascading crises.
"I bring a dynamic perspective in climate and health. So, I don't follow a negotiation track, but instead try to understand how health is being referenced in all – or whether it is being referenced at all," she said.
Climate change is a direct threat to human health. It affects access to clean water, food security, disease patterns, and the capacity of health systems. Yet, health has often been peripheral in COP negotiations.
At COP29, the WHO, the Wellcome Trust, and other partners hosted a Health Pavilion and a dedicated Health Day. These events displayed how climate policies intersect with public health. Some of the key initiatives included the Multisectoral Actions Pathways (MAP) for Resilient and Healthy Cities, which promotes climate-resilient urban planning. Another initiative, the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP), funds climate-resilient primary healthcare in low- and middle-income countries.
While these efforts did not ‘dominate headlines,’ they laid the groundwork for COP30. They signal a growing focus on integrating health into climate negotiations and ensuring climate action protects human lives as much as ecosystems.
The Gap Between Pledges and Reality
Across Asia, people have noticed a persistent gap between global pledges and local implementation.
Aya Mousa observed that while global dialogues emphasize net-zero and high-tech transitions, on-the-ground communities in Jordan still lack affordable monitoring tools, funding, and policy alignment to act on those goals.
Harshita stressed upon how climate exacerbates existing vulnerabilities: “The strain caused by climate change – mass migration, changing disease patterns – is overworking and overwhelming us. A lot of people are no longer able to access basic, essential, life-saving healthcare services.”
Ho Wei Liang also pointed to implementation gaps. “Climate solutions are often designed globally but not localized. What we need are mechanisms that bring technology, knowledge, and funding directly to local community leaders or innovators, especially youth and grassroots groups who already understand the community’s needs.”
Youth Strategies and Solutions
Despite structural challenges, Asian youth delegates are building solutions rooted in the local context. Ricky Huang’s team maps stakeholders from house owners and scooter drivers to SMEs and utilities. “We ask, ‘What do they care about? What’s their most immediate concern in their work or life?’ Even if it’s not directly related to climate,” he explained.
On a different note, Aya Mousa highlighted how digital innovation can democratize climate action: “Emerging digital and sensing technologies can reshape global carbon monitoring frameworks. Our goal is to turn carbon monitoring into an accessible and profitable climate service for industries and urban sectors across Jordan and the Middle East.”
She believes that by making emissions data more accessible, communities and local innovators gain valuable insights into their environment. With this information, they can identify problems, advocate for solutions, and take action without waiting for top-down interventions.
Junsoo Chung talked about how preparation and intention are key to furthering tangible action. “We’re going to COP not for COP’s sake. We need to have A, B, C, D, E objectives. We need to be prepared before we go, and continue those engagements after we return.” The emphasis on strategy reflects a maturity in the new generation of delegates, who approach COP not as a symbolic space but as a launchpad for concrete outcomes.
Hopes Across Asia
While these Asian youth delegates are focused on very distinct issues, many share similar hopes for COP30's outcomes. They are working for increased intra- and inter-regional collaboration, tools that can empower communities to build local resilience, and equitable transfers of resources to underserved populations.
Ricky wants to connect Taiwan with other APAC countries and South America, aiming to coordinate policy, industrial partnerships, and decarbonization strategies. “If I’m flying all the way there, that’s a big carbon-intensive activity. I want to make sure what I’m doing at the destination can potentially offset or outweigh the emissions impact.”
Building on global partnerships, Junsoo hopes to build frameworks for public-private cooperation in Asia, ensuring smoother climate finance distribution. Growing up in Vietnam, he saw firsthand how foreign investment and rapid infrastructure growth transformed the economy. But also, how unchecked development damaged certain communities. This tension between progress and preservation pushed him toward sustainable investing.
So Tsujita hopes to present the potential of AI and data to increase transparency and inclusivity in carbon markets. “My cultural upbringing emphasized harmony with nature, ‘wa’ [和], inspiring me to view sustainability as both a moral duty and an innovation opportunity.”
“So, yes, for Japan and Asia, I hope to see stronger regional cooperation on carbon accounting and capacity building, especially for SMEs and local governments. We need frameworks that bridge technology access gaps and empower developing Asian countries to participate effectively in global carbon markets while ensuring a just transition for workers,” he said.
Aya Mousa, in many ways, shares So’s perspective. “While global dialogues emphasize net-zero and high-tech transitions, on-the-ground communities in Jordan lack affordable monitoring tools, funding, and policy alignment to act on those goals.” She also hopes to see developments that ensure a more equitable technology transfer, financing for innovation hubs, and capacity-building programs that empower local startups.
Harshita Umesh wants climate-health integration to feature more prominently on the agenda, arguing that human life cannot be sacrificed for slow-moving negotiations. “The cost of human life is not worth it.”
What Comes After COP30?
COP30 is now underway in Belém, Brazil. Delegates are navigating their way through discussions between stakeholders with differing priorities. Voices like Ricky's, So's, Ho's, Junsoo's, Harshita's, and Aya's are driving the conversation with concrete ideas and local insight. They’re tracking mechanisms that matter and building connections that extend beyond the conference.
For Asia’s youth, success is seeing commitments turn into finance, technology, and policies that reach communities and support real change. When the conference closes on 21 November, these delegates will hopefully return home with the strategies, partnerships, and capabilities to act locally.
In a few weeks, the AEYN team will follow up to see whether COP30 met their expectations and what progress they made toward their goals.
The choices made in Belém will ripple across the world’s cities, coasts, and farmlands. And those ripples have the potential to bring tangible solutions to the mounting climate crisis. Let’s stay tuned and keep the momentum going.
