Climate Youth Delegate Programme
Supporting young people in Ireland to be represented on Ireland’s official Delegation for international climate policy.
What is the Climate Youth Delegate Programme?
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, working in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), have established the annual Climate Youth Delegate Programme .
Each year, the Climate Youth Delegate Programme will appoint one young person from Ireland aged between 18-25 years to be part of Ireland’s national and international climate change efforts for a term of 20 months. The goal of this programme is to provide the Department with a channel to support the active participation of young people in international climate policy and processes and ensure Ireland’s official delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) benefit from the perspectives and knowledges of youth in its work.
Tasks of the Climate Youth Delegate
Each Climate Youth Delegate will be tasked with raising awareness of Ireland’s international climate action efforts through sharing informative and engaging social media posts, including, where possible, interviews with high-level representatives. The Climate Youth Delegate will also reach out to youth communities and networks across Ireland to share knowledge and gather ideas and solutions. These will feed into Ireland’s national and international climate change priorities.
As part of their role, the Climate Youth Delegate will be invited to accompany the Taoiseach, Ministers or Departmental officials at different national and international climate change negotiations each year to represent the voices of Irish youth.
These events may include:
Climate Youth Delegate 2025-2026
Fatima Elzahra Ismail
Fatima Elzahra Ismail, 19, is a Sudanese-Irish youth advocate focused on climate justice, addressing the impacts of climate change on marginalised communities, and empowering youth across Africa and Europe. Fatima developed an interest in climate issues at the age of 13 through youth theatre projects, later expanding her efforts to include grassroots education and international advocacy. She has collaborated with multiple EU Presidencies to deliver the EU Youth Conference, represented Ireland at the European Economic and Social Committee, and is an alumna of the U.S. State Department’s Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship. Fatima has worked with UNICEF as a facilitator, was a peer researcher at University College Dublin, and holds positions on both the board subcommittee of spunout and is a member of the EU Youth Dialogue Core Group at the National Youth Council of Ireland. By combining creative methodologies with policy engagement, Fatima works to drive social change and is studying Sociology and Politics of Science at University College London. Her academic interests include researching ocean-based climate solutions. As the President of the Women’s Forum of the Young Voices of Africa, she leads initiatives that strengthen the voices of young African women and builds meaningful connections between Africa and Europe on gender equality, leadership, and cross-continental engagement. Fatima is also a Senior Ambassador for The Shona Project. Through this role, she has spoken on topics such as mental health, climate change, and the intersections with gender on platforms like Today FM.
Climate Youth Delegate 2024-2025
Beth Doherty
Beth Doherty is 20 years old and has been involved in climate activism since 2019, beginning as an organiser of the school strikes in Dublin. Since then, she has worked nationally and internationally on climate justice, including as a COP28 Delegate, Arctic Angel and a Legal Researcher with Global Choices to draft agreements protecting the Arctic. She has also co-led a special thematic report on the link between children’s rights and the climate crisis to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which aimed to recognise and centre the impact of the climate crisis on human rights. She is currently finishing her final year of law at the University of Cambridge, and is particularly passionate about delivering a just transition with meaningful youth engagement.
Former Climate Youth Delegates
2023-2024
Jennifer (Jenny) Salmon is a 21-year-old LLB student at Trinity College Dublin. In 2022/23 she represented Irish youth at an international level at COP27 in Egypt with NGO Concern Worldwide as their inaugural Youth Climate Ambassador. With Concern Worldwide, Jenny has advocated for climate justice, speaking at events and on social media, to amplify the voices of those presently suffering the effects of the climate crisis. Her core focus in respect of climate activism is continuing to amplify the voices of those suffering now, and increasing participation.
Jenny has acted as a youth representative in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg with Rotary Ireland and as a youth representative in the EU Parliament in Brussels. She has a background in NGO work, having previously held intern positions with FLAC Ireland and Concern Worldwide. Jenny was part of Oireachtas100 Dáil centenary celebrations where she delivered a TedX talk on the ethics of technology for people and planet. Additionally, through Jenny’s work with Trinity FLAC as Moot Court Convenor 2022/23 and Secretary for 2023/24, she fosters her belief in the promotion of access to justice at home and abroad.
2022-2023
Oileán Carter Stritch is a 23 year old climate justice advocate from Clondalkin, Dublin. Oileán has been involved with Change Clothes Crumlin since its beginning, where she helps to run community sustainability and upcycling events in Dublin. The aim of the initiative is to be accessible, sustainable and to take the doom and gloom out of climate change and allow a space for action. On a national level, she represents Irish youth in the National Climate Delegation and is a part of Plan International Ireland’s Youth Advisory Panel.
Internationally, Oileán is Ireland’s first official Climate Youth Delegate with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and the National Youth Council of Ireland, where she attended COP27. She also attended COP26 and COY12 on behalf of ECO-UNESCO, where she began her activism almost 8 years ago.
Climate & UN Youth Delegate Publications
Apply Now for Ireland’s Nomination to the OSCE Chairpersonship Youth Forum!
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OSCE CHAIRPERSONSHIP YOUTH FORUM The National Youth Council of Ireland together with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade invites applications […]
Applications for Ireland’s next Climate Youth Delegate are Open!
Apply now to become Ireland’s next Climate Youth Delegate 2025-2026. Young people from all across the island of Ireland are invited to apply for the chance […]
International Women’s Day Consultation
Ahead of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Ireland’s youth delegates to the United Nations want to hear young people’s views on issues relating to gender equality
Interested in being Ireland’s next Climate Youth Delegate?
Applications for 2023-2024 are closed, but to keep up to date on future opportunities sign up to our mailing list here: