On 26 February, young leaders, policymakers, researchers and civil society representatives gathered at The Wanderers Club in Johannesburg for the Air Aware: Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy & Implementation. It brought together 227 delegates and marked the culmination of the year-long Air Aware: Youth-Led Air Pollution Awareness campaign, implemented by Youth@SAIIA under the Breathe Cities initiative in collaboration with the City of Johannesburg (CoJ).
The conference sought to elevate youth voices in shaping solutions for cleaner air and healthier communities, understanding that while young people are often recognised as beneficiaries of environmental policy, they are rarely given structured opportunities to contribute and shape it. The Air Aware campaign engaged over 650 young people across Johannesburg through virtual learning sessions, capacity-building workshops and community-based air quality campaigns.
Through this initiative, Johannesburg is aligning youth leadership, scientific evidence, and city decision-making to advance a better quality of life within communities. Improving air quality is essential to reducing pollution-related illnesses and protecting residents’ well-being, particularly children and young people.
Conference Highlights
A key moment was the formal presentation of the Youth Statement on Air Pollution, which outlined collective youth perspectives and policy recommendations to the CoJ’s Dr Tebogo Modiba, Executive Director of the City’s Environment and Infrastructure Services Department. Discussions explored potential pathways for achieving cleaner air in Johannesburg by 2030.
Several interactive panels and discussions were held to deepen engagement among participants. These included an interactive foresight session on youth-inclusive clean air policy pathways for Johannesburg, which encouraged participants to consider future policy approaches and a multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on translating vision into policy action. The programme also included the eight Youth Air Champions involved in the campaign, sharing their experiences, community engagement work and perspectives on advancing cleaner air initiatives.
