Rainforest Youth Summit 2026 introduces Planet Futures Forum to train youth in climate governance

The newly introduced Planet Futures Forum will enable youth delegates to navigate climate challenges, evaluate trade offs and practise collective decision making as part of RAYS 2026.

By Amanda L

KUCHING, June 24: The Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS) 2026 has introduced the Planet Futures Forum as a new feature aimed at exposing young people to climate governance and decision making through simulations involving competing priorities and collective negotiations.

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the forum is designed to place delegates in the realities of climate decision making, where they will negotiate priorities, navigate constraints, consider trade offs and practise collective decision making.

“Sustainability requires more than passion. It requires the ability to understand complexity, listen to different perspectives, balance competing needs, and make decisions that can be implemented in the real world,” he said in his speech at the opening ceremony of RAYS 2026 here today.

He described the Planet Futures Forum as more than just a summit activity, saying it serves as a learning pathway that prepares young people to think critically about governance, responsibility and the difficult choices involved in shaping a sustainable future.

Abdul Karim said the outcomes of the forum would contribute to the RAYS Youth Declaration, which will consolidate youth aspirations, commitments, solutions and recommendations on sustainability issues.

He said the declaration is intended to serve as a roadmap for youth engagement as well as a reference point for stakeholders and decision makers.

The introduction of the Planet Futures Forum forms part of RAYS 2026’s broader shift from awareness to action, with the summit placing greater emphasis on youth leadership, long term engagement and practical solutions to environmental challenges. — DayakDaily