COP31 Fellowship 2026: Life of Pachamama Opens Third Generation for Global South Youth

The III Generation of the COP31 Fellowship by Life of Pachamama has just opened applications, running from April 1 to April 30, 2026.The programme sends selected young people from the Global South to the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, taking place in Antalya, Turkey from November 9 to 20, 2026.

COP31 Fellowship 2026 is for youth advocates who have been working on climate justice at the community level without access to international platforms, this fellowship is among the very few that funds both the training and the seat at the table.

COP31 Fellowship 2026: Quick Program Overview

COP31 Fellowship Track Record and the Organisation Behind It

Life of Pachamama is a Colombia-based socio-environmental collective led by teenagers and young people, working at the intersection of climate justice, environmental education, and citizen participation. The COP31 cycle 2026 is its third generation, having previously sent delegations to COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The organisation’s model — train locally, advocate globally, return and replicate — is more structurally coherent than many climate youth programmes that fund attendance without accountability for community impact. Compared to the YOUNGO constituency process under the UNFCCC, which requires institutional affiliation, the Life of Pachamama COP31 Fellowship offers a more direct and accessible entry point for individual young applicants from the targeted regions.

COP31 Fellowship Funding: What Life of Pachamama Covers

The COP31 Life of Pachamama Fellowship covers the full cost of participation. Selected delegates receive round-trip airfare from their city of residence to Antalya, shared accommodation, a stipend for meals and local transportation, and international health insurance.

Before the conference, fellows go through virtual training from May to June focused on climate justice, policy analysis, and strategic communication. After COP31, participants are expected to lead community-level knowledge transfer processes back home.

COP31 Climate Fellowship 2026 in Türkiye is not a passive attendance grant — it is structured across three active phases, and completion of at least 70% of the training phase is required before a fellow qualifies for travel to Turkey.

COP31 Fellowship Eligibility: Nine Countries, Specific Communities

The COP31 Pachamama Fellowship Program targets young people aged 15 to 30 who are nationals of Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, Gabon, Uganda, or Tanzania — including those who reside in these countries or are migrants or refugees from them.

Priority is given to applicants belonging to Indigenous, peasant, Afro-descendant, or rural communities, victims of armed conflict, and those with demonstrated involvement in climate or socio-environmental action. The programme accepts applications in Spanish and English.

The III Generation Life of Pachamama Fellowship is not for students who have studied climate policy academically — it is explicitly designed for those with grassroots engagement and community roots. That distinction narrows the field significantly and makes it more genuinely competitive for exactly the profiles it intends to serve.

The COP31 Fellowship application: Portal, Documents and Process

The application process for the COP31 Fellowship by Life of Pachamama is designed to be accessible, prioritizing grassroots impact over complex academic bureaucratic hurdles. The portal is hosted directly on the Life of Pachamama official website, and consists of 30 questions that takes approximately five minutes to complete.

Provide your personal details, social media handles (LinkedIn/Instagram), and passport status. You must attach a brief bio (max 250 words) and a description of a leadership initiative (max 300 words) you have led. Before submitting, you must explicitly confirm your commitment to all three phases: the virtual training (May–June), community replication, and travel to Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026.

COP31 fellowship deadline is April 30, 2026. Applicants who cannot commit to all phases, including travel to Antalya in November, should not apply — availability is a stated eligibility condition. For a young person working on climate at the community level in Ghana, Uganda, or Colombia with no institutional backing, this COP31 fellowship 2026 provides not just funding but a formal credential inside the UNFCCC process that very few pathways at this age and profile level can offer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is the COP31 Fellowship by Life of Pachamama open to students currently enrolled in university?

A: Yes. The program is open to anyone aged 15 to 30, including students. However, the selection committee prioritizes individuals with active grassroots involvement in their communities over purely academic backgrounds.

Q: What happens if I cannot complete the virtual training phase of the COP31 Fellowship?

A: Completion of at least 70% of the virtual training (held from May to June 2026) is a mandatory requirement. If a fellow does not meet this threshold, they will not be eligible to receive the travel grant for the summit in November.

Q: Can I apply for the Life of Pachamama Fellowship if I am a refugee living in one of the nine eligible countries?

A: Absolutely. The fellowship explicitly encourages applications from migrants and refugees currently residing in Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, Gabon, Uganda, or Tanzania.

Q: Is there an application fee for the COP31 Fellowship by Life of Pachamama?

A: No. There is no cost to apply. The official application is a 30-question form available on the Life of Pachamama portal and takes approximately five minutes to complete.

Q: What specific regions are prioritized for the Life of Pachamama COP31 Fellowship?

A: While the program is open to the nine listed countries, priority is given to youth from Indigenous, peasant, Afro-descendant, and rural communities, as well as victims of armed conflict.