UNICEF, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of Uzbekistan, and the Zamin International Public Foundation are celebrating the achievements of the first cohort of Young Eco-Champions National Community.

Young people, pre-trained by UNICEF, helped raise awareness among peers and younger children, organized a large number of environmental events in their communities, and participated in policy events on climate change at the national and international levels, including the UN COP29 Climate Change Conference in Baku.

The impact of these innovators has been impressive, exemplary, and has a nationwide scope. In particular, 50 young eco-champions organized 260 environmental events, mobilizing 17,428 children and young people nationwide.

Together, they planted 3,200 trees and collected and sorted 13 tons of waste.

The young eco-champions have been accredited by YOUNGO, the official children’s and youth movement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to host the first-ever local youth conference in Uzbekistan in August 2025. The youth recommendations developed at this conference will be presented at the Conference of Youth (COY20) and COP30 in Brazil, drawing the attention of the world community to the climate problems faced by Uzbekistan.

The Young Eco-Champions National Community was launched in August 2024 as a practical step towards implementing National and regional Strategies to promote a culture of sustainable development and involve children and youth in the climate change agenda. The network brought together 50 teenagers from 20 schools from all regions of Uzbekistan.

As a next step, in July 2025, partner organizations will announce the acceptance of applications for the second group of young eco-champions among public schools in all regions of Uzbekistan to continue and expand the scope of the work.

Nazokat Usmanova, UzA