Climate Youth Development Programme

Singapore's Climate Youth Development Programme (CYDP) is a government youth-engagement and leadership programme co-led by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) and the National Youth Council (NYC). Its purpose is to strengthen the Government's partnership with young people in advancing climate action and sustainable development (NYC, page last updated 18 May 2026, accessed 29 August 2026; CYDP 2026 Factsheet, information correct 1 April 2026, accessed 29 August 2026).

Participants and programme model

The NYC describes CYDP as an annual programme for youth aged 18 to 35 who are passionate about environmental sustainability and climate-change issues. Each run brings together 30 to 40 youth for a multi-day induction period followed by activities and engagements over the weeks that follow. The participant range is a programme design and expected cohort size, not a claim about all young Singaporeans or all youth climate participation (NYC, page last updated 18 May 2026, accessed 29 August 2026).

The induction phase uses learning journeys and dialogues with policymakers and industry experts to build subject knowledge and soft skills. Subsequent activities provide opportunities to continue learning, network with local and international players, and access selected government and partner events. CYDP is therefore a structured engagement and capability-building pathway, not an academic qualification, grant scheme or statutory climate decision-making body (NYC, page last updated 18 May 2026, accessed 29 August 2026).

Climate Youth Community and reported outcomes

On completion, participants join the Climate Youth Community and may receive opportunities through climate-related and leadership platforms. NYC says they are also provided with resources to collaborate on community projects involving the broader youth population. Those are programme opportunities and intended follow-on support; the cited page does not establish a guaranteed project grant, employment outcome, or policy-adoption role for every participant (NYC, page last updated 18 May 2026, accessed 29 August 2026).

The CYDP 2026 factsheet states that MSE, NCCS and NYC launched the programme in 2023. NYC separately reports that the 2025 programme included 10 youths selected for Singapore's COP30 delegation and that their delegation report contained six action plans. Those are specific cohort and delegation outputs; they should not be read as a complete impact evaluation of CYDP or as evidence that every participant attends an international conference (CYDP 2026 Factsheet, information correct 1 April 2026, accessed 29 August 2026; NYC, page last updated 18 May 2026, accessed 29 August 2026).