As the world convenes in Antalya, Türkiye, for COP31, the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC) calls on governments and international climate institutions to move beyond commitments and deliver concrete, equitable, and accountable action on loss and damage.

With climate impacts intensifying, developing countries facing mounting financial and debt pressures, and frontline communities bearing the consequences of a crisis they did little to cause, the urgency of addressing loss and damage has never been greater. As the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) transitions towards delivering support, COP31 presents a critical opportunity to turn institutional progress into meaningful action that reaches the countries and communities most affected.

In its Global Youth Statement of Demands for COP31, LDYC presents 13 demands organised around three interconnected priorities: Finance architecture for loss and damage and its delivery, Governance, transparency, and accountability, and Human rights, intersectional justice, and science for equitable climate action. 

LDYC urges Parties to recognise and address non-economic losses, including the loss of culture, identity, territory, ecosystems, and social cohesion, while supporting climate-displaced communities. The statement also calls for loss and damage to be integrated into just transition processes, stronger means of implementation for adaptation, and gender-responsive, inclusive approaches across all climate policies and financial mechanisms.

Across all 13 demands, the statement is grounded in principles of equity and climate justice, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, accessibility, country ownership, gender responsiveness, transparency, institutional coherence, and direct-to-community financing. It also emphasises that young people must move beyond symbolic participation to meaningful leadership in decision-making and implementation.

Our message to COP31 is clear: climate justice cannot remain a promise. Finance must reach those on the frontlines, institutions must be accountable for delivery, and affected communities must have the power to shape the decisions that determine their futures.