The two Otago physics students were chosen in April, with 10 other people aged 16-26 from throughout the country, to form the 2010 New Zealand Youth Delegation (NZYD).
The group will attend COP16, the 16th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to 30.
This is a follow-up to the much-publicised COP15, an earlier climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December last year, which was attended by the first NZYD.
Some people had been disappointed by a lack of progress at Copenhagen and, in some quarters, climate change issues had started to "drop off the radar" in terms of public attention, the two students said.
They wanted to keep climate change in the spotlight and they had, in recent months, either separately or together, spoken to more than 700 young people about the issues, at school assemblies and Otago University residential colleges.
Mr Young said a global movement, involving "millions of people from all walks of life", was pressing for action.
"It can sometimes feel as if you're acting alone, but it really isn't the case," he added.
The two students, who leave for Mexico next week, are holding a fundraising quiz at the Gazebo Lounge at the University Union building at 7.30pm today to help meet some of their travel costs.
