By Abbas Nazil
The Model Climate Change Conference of the Parties – Greater Bay Area (MCOP-GBA 2025), held from June 21 to 22, successfully convened 116 youth delegates from over 30 secondary schools across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
The event, hosted at the High School Affiliated to SUSTech in Shenzhen, was jointly organized by the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia and the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University.
This immersive simulation aimed to cultivate leadership, climate literacy, and diplomacy skills among young people by allowing them to engage in role-play as national delegates in a United Nations-style climate negotiation setting.
The conference centered on three key agenda items including Just Transition and Adaptation Goals, encouraging students to draft policy positions, engage in bloc negotiations, and produce more than 10,000 words in formal resolutions.
Participants gained hands-on experience in multilateral diplomacy, policy formulation, and consensus building, reinforcing their understanding of international climate governance.
Youth delegate Chen Weijie reflected on the experience, noting that the role-playing deepened his awareness and responsibility as a global citizen.
In his opening address, Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, praised Shenzhen as a UNESCO Creative City of Design and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to youth empowerment and climate education.
He emphasized that UNESCO aims to work with and for youth, pledging further collaboration to support youth-led climate initiatives across the Greater Bay Area.
The event was supported by the China Youth Development Foundation Mercedes-Benz Star Fund and the Shenzhen Project Care Foundation • Youth Leadership Fund.
Side events such as the Climate Voice Wall and the Climate-Action Puzzle Hunt offered interactive challenges that tested delegates’ policy knowledge, teamwork, and adaptability in real-world climate scenarios.
Diego, a youth delegate at UNFCCC COP29 and presiding officer of MCOP-GBA 2025, reported a 98% participation rate and commended the professionalism of the simulations.
Educational partners, including the Shenzhen Press Education Media Group, NEXUS, and the Greater Bay Area Model UN Organising Committee, played significant roles in facilitating the event.
Educators praised the conference as a unique opportunity to cultivate global awareness, public service commitment, and cross-cultural communication skills among students.
Professor Li Zheng of Tsinghua University highlighted the importance of educating youth in climate leadership, while Ms Wang Peidong, General Principal of the host school, described the event as transformative.
Ms Chen Li, Editor-in-Chief of the Shenzhen Press Education Media Group, stated that such initiatives prepare youth to tackle sustainability challenges through cooperation and critical thinking.
MCOP-GBA 2025 represents the latest in a growing series of youth-led climate diplomacy programs led by UNESCO and Tsinghua University, which have reached over 800 students from 20 countries.
By anchoring education in practical negotiations and empowering young voices, the initiative furthers UNESCO’s vision for inclusive and transformative education to drive sustainable development.
