We are happy to share a co-authored blog with our partner UNDP. It's great to see how they're using Ekota to turn youth voices into climate action.
Every few years, countries submit updated climate plans to the UN: commitments on how they'll reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. The most recent round took place this year, with a concerted effort to make the plans more inclusive. But how do you meaningfully consult thousands of young people across dozens of countries?
That's where Ekota came in.
What is Ekota?
Ekota is a digital platform developed by CogCo that enables large-scale, structured conversations. Rather than the usual approach of small in-person workshops that can only include a limited number of people, Ekota lets thousands of participants share ideas, vote on each other's proposals, and build consensus online. The result? Data that policymakers can actually use, grounded in what a wide range of people really prioritise.
What the UNDP did
This year, UNDP ran 15 youth consultations through Ekota across Asia and the Pacific. The conversations reached over 15,000 young people, with 5,000+ actively participating, sharing ideas on everything from climate education to green jobs to how climate funding should be allocated. Some conversations fed directly into national climate plans; others contributed to the Global Youth Statement that young people will present at this year's UN climate summit.
What young people said
Priorities varied by region, but some consistent themes emerged: In South Asia, participants pushed for climate education in schools and stronger legal frameworks to enforce environmental commitments. Youth in Nepal called for formal mechanisms to include young people in implementing national climate plans.
In Mongolia, the focus was on blending traditional knowledge with modern technology—particularly to protect livestock from increasingly harsh winters.
Cambodian participants proposed practical solutions: clear investment roadmaps for clean energy and drought-resistant crops to secure food systems.
In Papua New Guinea, youth demanded transparency—better reporting on where climate funding goes and more local capacity-building.
Despite different contexts, the underlying message was consistent: young people want real participation in climate decisions, not just token consultation.
Why this matters
Traditional consultations tend to be small, resource-intensive, and hard to scale. Ekota flips that model. It makes participation possible regardless of geography, and it produces structured data that's harder for policymakers to ignore. It's been exciting to see Ekota enable this kind of engagement at scale and to watch youth perspectives shape national climate commitments in real time.
