From a Youth's Voice to Global Policy: My YEA–UNEA Journey I did not walk into the Global Youth Environmental Assembly [(YEA), (20-30 Nov)] or the United Nations Environment Assembly [(UNEA), (8-12 Dec)] expecting answers. I walked in carrying questions about who gets heard in global environmental decision-making, whose realities shape policy, and whether youth participation truly translates into influence. What I found was not just space to speak, but a responsibility to bridge lived community experiences with global conversations on sustainability. Walking into the Global Youth Environmental Assembly and later the United Nations Environment Assembly, I carried more than just a badge and a notebook. I carried community stories of plastic-choked waterways, of young people organising cleanups with little funding, of informal settlements innovating solutions long before policy language catches up. YEA and UNEA are often spoken of in the same breath, yet they serve different but equally important purposes. Experiencing both spaces allowed me to understand how youth voices move from expression to influence, and how global policy can be grounded in lived realities. UNEA was where decisions were negotiated, language refined, and commitments were formalised. Being in that space especially as a young person felt intimidating and in the same breath empowering. Through exhibitions and engagements, including work around the Plastic Tide Turners Challenge, I witnessed how youth-led initiatives can translate grassroots action into policy relevant impact. Delegates, member states, and fellow youths engaged with our stories not as side events, but as evidence that community-driven solutions work.