Surfer, local councillor and environmental leader, Kal Glanznig, has been appointed as Australia's Youth Ocean Advocate for COP31. The United Nations climate change summit is being held in Türkiye in November 2026.
The 26-year-old from Cronulla, New South Wales, has built a reputation for turning local action into real climate outcomes.
Kal is the co-founder of Blue Minds, a national program empowering young Australians to tackle eco-concerns and lead ocean action. He also co-founded Plastic Free Cronulla, which helped to secure the ban on single-use plastics in New South Wales. In 2024, he became the youngest independent councillor elected to Sutherland Shire Council.
The ocean is fundamental to livelihoods, food security, economic development and climate resilience. As COP31 Youth Ocean Advocate, Kal will work to elevate diverse youth voices and put the ocean front and centre of the global climate agenda. He will champion the climate-ocean connection and promote inclusive community participation in climate action.
Kal believes Australia can lead the world in this space because of our innovative culture and ability to roll our sleeves up and get the job done. He says there is no better pathway than COP for the world to come together to agree on what our shared future looks like.
"We've got one shared ocean, there's no fences, there's no borders, you know, we collectively share in the challenges, but also the opportunities with the ocean."
Kal is also a strong advocate for mental health. In particular, the impacts of climate change on young Australians' mental health.
He believes young Australians want to see a better future and says they hold the pen to rewrite the future for the better.
In his new role, Kal will work closely with COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion, Sally Higgins, to ensure the youth perspectives are embedded in climate decision making.
About COP31
COP is the world's most important climate meeting. Each year it brings countries together to negotiate on climate change solutions and track progress against shared goals. This year, COP31 will take place in Antalya, Türkiye from 9- 20 November 2026.
Australia is President of Negotiations for COP31. Australia is also partnering with Pacific island countries to host the Pacific Pre-COP in Fiji and Tuvalu from 5-8 October 2026.
Kal will be a part of this global event, elevating young people's voices and helping them to have a say in future climate action.
Watch the interview with Kal to learn more about him and what he'll bring to the role of Youth Ocean Advocate.
Transcript
My name's Kal Glanznig. I'm from beautiful Cronulla in Sydney South and I am the COP31 Youth Ocean advocate, the co-founder of Blue Mines, a local councillor, a documentary filmmaker. And for me, the love that I have for the oceans, I need to just do it as much as I can to help protect it. And I feel like as Aussies, we just absolutely love the ocean. So, it's an absolute privilege and honour to try to showcase how important the ocean is in the lead up to COP31.
The ocean has been such a big part of my life doing nippers, surfing, you know, just spending so much time with friends and family at the beach.
I think a lot of us forget, you know, how important the ocean actually is to the health of the planet. Like, it is our greatest climate superpower.
The Pacific Ocean is 30% of the world's ocean. So if you think about how important the ocean is providing two or three breaths that we take, 90% of the excess heat in the ocean, you know, 30% of all the carbon. Like the ocean's carrying the absolute load when it comes to really regulating our climate.
We've got one shared ocean, there's no fences, there's no borders, you know, we collectively share in the challenges, but also the opportunities with the ocean.
We've got one shared climate, and we've also got one shared future. And I think COP is the most important space, because with the challenges that our planet is facing, there is no better pathway for world leaders to come together to agree on what that shared future looks like.
So as this region of Australia, the Pacific, New Zealand, you know, this Pacific family that we're all a part of, if we can really elevate how important the ocean is, particularly in the lead up to COP31, and show the rest of the world why we need to put the ocean front and centre.
It is something that I know the Pacific are really passionate about. It's something that is entwined in their national identities, their culture. It's something that's entwined in our culture and identity, and it's something that we can really show the world and really have our stamp on the world about how important the ocean is.
And I think COP31 is probably the most important opportunity that Australians have ever had on this international stage, not just in climate or the environment, but anywhere. And I think for Australians, like, we absolutely love an underdog story. When we think about our sporting moments or our cultural moments. Like, we love when Australians just, you know, prove the world wrong and just really turn things around.
And with what the world is going through, like, there's never been a greater opportunity for Australia to really step up and really showcase to the world our values, our culture, not just Australians with the Pacific.
I'm really excited to see what we can do over the next few months in the lead-up to COP31, in Pre-COP particularly, and really elevate those voices of the Pacific and really show the world how important it is to take these problems seriously and really showcase the opportunities of what this exciting future could look like.
Progress is so, so important because every fraction of a degree is going to shape the lives for, you know, my kids, my grandkids and future generations.
