Bangladeshi young people have declared 2025 as the “Year of People’s NDC,” urging the government to adopt inclusive and people-centered climate policies as part of its third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) under the Paris Agreement.

The announcement was made at a demonstration at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Wednesday and spearheaded by Youth4NDCs with 12 other prominent organisations, including YouthNet Global.

As Bangladesh prepares to submit its revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the initiative aligns with key insights from the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement.

The move seeks to recalibrate national climate goals to better reflect grassroots realities and drive more effective action.

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Amanullah Porag, founder and executive director of Youth4NDCs, emphasised the urgency, saying, “Bangladesh’s NDC 3.0 must be ambitious and rooted in the realities of its people. We have just five years to meet the 1.5°C target. This is a pivotal moment for our country to lead by example.”

Youth4NDCs has launched a petition aiming to collect 100,000 signatures within six months, urging the government to prioritise a people-centric approach in NDC 3.0.

The campaign calls for ambitious climate commitments grounded in grassroots realities and public aspirations.

The campaign focuses on establishing a bottom-up approach to the NDC revision process, ensuring meaningful youth participation through formal mechanisms.

It also highlights priorities such as climate resilience, locally-led adaptation and nature-based solutions to protect the nation’s most vulnerable populations.

“This is not just about climate targets; it’s about justice and equity for all,” said Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global.

“Empowering young people for climate action, locally-led adaptation, gender equality, and a just transition is essential to ensure that marginalized communities have their voices heard in our national climate plan,” he added.