KUCHING, 27 February 2026: After two years of uniting 1,700 participants, featuring more than 50 speakers, and engaging representatives from over 80 organisations across 37 countries, the Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS) returns in 2026 from 24 to 26 June 2026 for its third edition.
Hosted in Kuching, Sarawak — home to some of the world’s most significant rainforest carbon sinks — RAYS continues to ground climate dialogue within a landscape globally recognised for its ecological value.
Borneo’s intact forests and deep peatlands rank among the planet’s most effective natural carbon reservoirs, making Kuching a meaningful setting for youth-led conversations on climate action, governance, and the future of shared planetary stewardship.
Funded and organised by the State Government of Sarawak, and endorsed by ASEAN, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and UN Tourism, RAYS 2026 will attract over 700 youth participants from all 11 ASEAN countries.
The summit will feature 17 speakers from Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, and around the world — including representatives from Panama, the UK, the US, Kenya, and other countries — contributing to a holistic and comprehensive programme.
Officiating the launch, Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts, YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, underscored the summit’s growing regional role.
“RAYS reflects Sarawak’s conviction that youth must not be placed at the edge of sustainability conversations, but firmly at the centre of them. Through this summit, Sarawak positions itself as a convening hub for youth-led climate leadership in the region. In this space, ASEAN’s diverse voices converge, where collaboration is nurtured, and where shared responsibility is strengthened.”
The 2026 programme brings together keynote dialogues, youth-led labs, and policy-focused sessions that centre lived experience, regional perspectives, and practical pathways to action.
Delegates will also take part in curated offsite excursions showcasing Sarawak’s protected rainforest sites and vibrant urban culture. The summit journey culminates with delegates attending the opening day of the Rainforest World Music Festival 2026, offering a cultural lens into how community, heritage, and conservation intersect within Sarawak’s responsible tourism model.
RAYS 2026 is anchored by the theme “Youth: Many Ways, One Planet”, reflecting the belief that while young people bring diverse perspectives, disciplines, and experiences, they share a collective responsibility — and opportunity — to shape sustainable futures. This theme guides the summit’s direction and reinforces its focus on inclusive, cross-cultural climate leadership.
New for RAYS 2026 is the Planet Futures Forum, a collaborative climate simulation designed to immerse youth in the realities of how climate decisions are made. Through scenario-based negotiation and systems thinking, participants will step into the roles, constraints, and trade-offs that shape real-world climate governance.
The Planet Futures Forum aims to build youth capacity in design thinking, negotiation, and collective decision-making, while producing a negotiated RAYS Youth Declaration that reflects the complexities of balancing environmental, social, and economic priorities.
Outcomes from the Planet Futures Forum will extend beyond the summit through the RAYS Fellowship Programme, a new 12-month leadership journey focused on collective climate governance and action.
The fellowship will bring together 10 to 15 young leaders ready to engage in real decision-making and shared governance. Rooted in the principle of “Many Ways, One Planet,” the programme creates space for diverse youth voices to co-design solutions, learn from indigenous and local knowledge holders, and contribute to governance proposals emerging from RAYS.
Over the course of a year, fellows will co-design governance structures grounded in community legitimacy, practise shared decision-making in real organisational or community contexts, strengthen their ability to lead across differences, and translate summit dialogue into applied action.
The fellowship begins at RAYS 2026 and continues through guided monthly online learning sessions, applied governance work, and collaborative cohort engagement.
Further details on the Planet Futures Forum and the RAYS Fellowship Programme will be announced in due course. Interested participants are encouraged to follow updates via the official RAYS website and social media channels.
Registration for RAYS 2026 is now open, with Early Bird passes available for purchase until 15 March 2026 via the official RAYS website.
Ticket Snapshot
• Early Bird Pass
MYR200: 15 March 2026
• General Pass
MYR350: First-time delegates
• Alumni Pass
MYR250: Returning delegates
• Group Pass
MYR250 per person — minimum 10 participants
(Schools, universities, and youth organisations)
• Kuching Group Pass
Kuching-based institutions or organisations interested in sending a group delegation of 20+ pax, should contact: [email protected]
(Source: Your Stories — STB)
