Funding the future:climate finance for youth
Abstract:
The world is undergoing a demographic shift, with youth, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, increasingly constituting a significant portion of the global population. By 2030, young people under 30 are projected to represent 42% of global youth. This demographic presents both challenges and opportunities, especially in addressing climate change, a major threat to socioeconomic stability. While youth globally are at the forefront of climate action, they face significant barriers such as intergenerational equity issues, limited access to technology, insufficient partnerships, and lack of funding. These challenges hinder the capacity of youth-led initiatives to contribute meaningfully to climate resilience. For example, the Youth Greenspace Action and Network Organization (YGAN) in Kenya demonstrates how young people can lead in climate action but faces financial constraints that limit its impact. Addressing these challenges requires a targeted approach to climate finance that mainstreams youth-focused funding, enhances financial literacy, and fosters inclusive partnerships. Recommendations include simplifying access to climate finance, increasing investment in information and communication technology (ICT), and tailoring financial services to meet the specific needs of youth-led initiatives. Streamlining visa processes and fostering global collaboration are also critical to empowering young people, particularly from the global south. To achieve long-term climate goals, governments, funding agencies, and development organizations must prioritize youth engagement and financial support in climate action.
Background:
The manuscript by Thomas Hardson Okinda explores the critical intersection of youth engagement, climate finance, and the need for targeted funding in the context of climate action. With a focus on sub-Saharan Africa, where youth under the age of 30 constitute a significant portion of the population, the paper emphasizes the role young people must play in tackling the existential threats of climate change. Despite their pivotal role, youth-led climate initiatives often face significant challenges, including lack of financial resources, inadequate technological tools, limited partnerships, and bureaucratic obstacles such as visa restrictions. Through the lens of the Youth Greenspace Action and Network Organization (YGAN) in Kenya, the manuscript provides a case study on the impact of youth-led climate action and the need for an inclusive approach to climate finance.
The paper underscores the urgency of prioritizing youth in climate finance, building financial literacy, and facilitating partnerships that can drive innovative climate resilience strategies. By proposing recommendations for simplifying climate finance access, maximizing investments in technology, and expanding financial literacy, the manuscript advocates for a more inclusive financial ecosystem that empowers youth to lead the charge against climate change.
Objective:
The objective of this manuscript is to highlight the importance of funding youth-led climate action initiatives, focusing on overcoming financial barriers, improving climate finance literacy, and promoting intergenerational equity. It aims to advocate for more inclusive, accessible financial mechanisms to empower young people in addressing the climate crisis.
Methods:
The approach in this work combines qualitative analysis and case study evaluation to highlight the role of youth in climate action, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It focuses on the challenges youth-led initiatives face, including financial barriers, lack of technological tools, and limited partnerships. The study uses the Youth Greenspace Action and Network Organization (YGAN) in Kenya as a case study to explore successes and challenges in youth-led climate resilience efforts. Recommendations are provided based on these findings, aiming to improve financial accessibility, youth engagement, and capacity-building for climate action.
Results:
The research highlights the critical role of youth in addressing climate change, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where young people represent a large portion of the population. Despite their active engagement, youth-led climate initiatives face significant barriers, including limited funding, inadequate technological tools, and lack of partnerships. The Youth Greenspace Action and Network Organization (YGAN) in Kenya is a key example of youth involvement but faces financial constraints. The study recommends improving climate finance access, enhancing financial literacy, fostering ICT investment, and streamlining visa processes to support youth-led climate actions and sustainability.
Conclusion:
Climate change poses severe threats to socioeconomic development and ecological stability, disproportionately affecting young people and women. Youth are critical to the response, but they face significant financial barriers that hinder their engagement. To harness the potential of youth-led climate action, there is a need for training in financial literacy, inclusive financial mechanisms, and supportive policies at all levels. Targeted financial support for youth and educational initiatives is integral to building resilient societies and achieving long-term climate goals. Government bodies, funding agencies, academic institutions, religious entities, and development corporations must support youth-led organizations in the climate sector, such as YGAN and other similar organizations, enabling them to scale their efforts and deepen their impact in helping communities adapt to the harsh realities of climate change.
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Biography of presenting Author
Hardson Thomas is a dedicated servant leader in climate action, policy advocate, and youth governance champion. With a background in Geography Science and as a YALI alumnus, he has made significant contributions to global sustainability initiatives. As the founder of Youth Greenspace Action and Network, Hurdson empowers youth for climate action, building resilient communities and bridging the gap between young people and policymakers. His influential policy work, Funding the Future: Climate Finance for Youth, has shaped global conversations on youth-led climate financing. Hurdson’s leadership strengthens Kenya’s youth climate movement, and he enjoys writing, nature, and spending time with loved ones.