Young people are ultimately the ones who will bear the brunt of climate change and its consequences. Yet as their concerns grow, young people often encounter barriers in influencing the decision-making that will impact their futures.

Plan International saw an opportunity to develop a new resource – not only for young people to develop their understanding of climate change and related decision-making, but also for teachers and trainers to support climate education, and for governments to aid meaningful consultations with youth on climate policies.

Discussions around our futures are better informed when young people have a seat at the table. However, they are often not taught how to engage in climate policy processes. A Plan International survey found that many are not aware of the Paris Agreement or how to get involved in climate processes in their country, which is preventing their contributions from feeding into decisions.

To address this gap, Plan International sought to develop a resource to strengthen young people’s knowledge and skills, enabling them to engage in climate policy.

Aimed at young people aged 14 and above, our role was to bring the information and activities to life, making quite complex and sometimes stressful topics accessible, clear and compelling.

We started by splitting each chapter into its own colour-coded book to make the content more digestible, crafting clear chapter titles to highlight the focus area of each. Our art direction set a visual tone that was both energising and age-appropriate and working with illustrator Jane Bowyer, a suite of graphics were developed using flat digital shapes with sketchy textures to provide supporting visual cues and add a human touch.

With a global audience, accessibility was a key focus. Illustrations are representative and inclusive; colours have sufficient contrast for the visually impaired; and we output greyscale versions of the Workbook for those with limited access to printing facilities or high-speed internet.

Launched at COP26, The Youth Leadership in Climate Policy workbook provides targeted content and activities that help learners turn their knowledge and skills into action for climate empowerment. The addition of a Facilitator’s Guide allows the Workbook to also be used in school or youth group settings.

The resources are currently being translated into French and Spanish to ensure they can reach the widest possible number of young people and give them the support they need to take climate action in their own lives.

“Wolf&Player’s creative expertise was vital in ensuring the workbook was relevant and accessible to the target age group of the workbook, and helping make complex topics fun and engaging.”

Jessica Cooke

Climate Change Policy & Advisor, Plan International