What does it really take to create change inside global climate negotiations, where nearly 200 countries may need to agree before anything moves forward?

In this episode of Purpose Gen Voice, Cathy Yitong Li shares a journey that began with climate advocacy as a teenager and has taken her across international environmental policy, civil society, business and multilateral institutions. Her path was not carefully mapped out. As Cathy explains, she initially “randomly fell into” the world of UN meetings, barely understanding what was being discussed, before curiosity gradually turned into a career and a purpose.

From having a seat to having influence

A central theme of the conversation is power and representation. Getting young people into global decision-making spaces is important, but simply being invited into the room does not necessarily mean having influence.

Cathy reflects on years of advocacy to secure formal representation for young people, gender representatives and Indigenous Peoples within UN climate processes. She also discusses the continuing challenge of tokenistic youth participation and why lived experience needs to be taken seriously alongside traditional expertise.

The conversation also explores a bigger challenge facing climate action: the disconnect between governments, businesses, civil society and international organisations. Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are deeply interconnected, yet the institutions addressing them can still operate in silos. For Cathy, stronger multistakeholder collaboration is an essential part of changing that.

Finding hope when progress feels painfully slow

Perhaps the most relatable part of the episode is Cathy's reflection on frustration and hope.

She compares multilateral negotiations to around 200 friends trying to agree on what to eat for dinner, except the decisions involve economies, livelihoods, rights and the future of the planet. It is messy and slow, but Cathy argues that focusing only on what negotiations fail to achieve can obscure the progress that is happening.

And her advice for young people trying to build careers with purpose?

Be rebellious. Challenge things. Follow your heart. And don't be afraid to pivot.

It is a conversation about climate negotiations, but also about something much broader: how young people can navigate imperfect institutions without losing either their purpose or their hope. Pasted text

🎙️ Listen to the full episode of Purpose Gen Voice: Power, Influence and Hope: Navigating Climate Negotiations.