This paper outlines a collective youth vision for biodiversity, developed to support the youth-responsive implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) also called the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It aims to capture the visions and recommendations of youth on how the KMGBF can be implemented in ways that respond to youth needs, recognize youth contributions, and enable meaningful youth inclusion and leadership. Using a multi-method approach—including surveys, focus groups, and youth consultations—the paper identifies youth priorities for biodiversity conservation and KMGBF implementation such as intergenerational equity and inclusive decision making. It also highlights key challenges faced by youth in biodiversity action and environmental governance, including limited access to resources and decision-making spaces. The paper provides concrete recommendations for a range of stakeholders to meaningfully engage young people and amplify youth-driven action for biodiversity. It concludes with a call to action and a list of related resources to support further engagement.

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This Youth Vision Paper was developed with Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) as the lead author, with valuable support from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and Greenpop Foundation. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG) for their significant contributions in strengthening the content of this paper. In addition, CYMG will support its wider dissemination by preparing a two-page summary to make the key messages more accessible. We also thank the members of the “We Are Nature: Youth Biodiversity Challenge” Youth Caucus members for their valuable inputs and for mobilizing contributions from their communities, which played an important role in shaping this Youth Vision document.