Youth Adaptation Movement Raises Visibility for Youth Leadership on Adaptation at COP27
In line with its aim of empowering young people to drive the adaptation agenda, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) organized a range of youth events focused on capacity-building, connecting young people and identifying youth perspectives on adaptation at COP27.
The events listed below took place from 6th to 19th November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh:
Youth4Adaptation: Shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation
On 12th November, Adaptation Day at COP27, the report Youth Engagement with the Global Goal on Adaptation was launched by GCA CEO, Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen and his Youth Advisory Panel. The report presents the outcomes of worldwide consultations with over 2,100 young people through the seven regional Youth Adaptation Forums, and the inaugural Youth Dialogue on Adaptation Action that brought together 100 young people from 50 countries in Rotterdam and more than 3,000 participants online. The report includes the Youth4Adaptation recommendations formulated by young people on participation, education, action and finance. One of the main recommendations of the report is to establish sub-goals on youth inclusion under the Global Goal on Adaptation.
Presenting the CEO’s Youth Advisory Panel 2023
On 10th November, on Youth Day at COP27, the CEO’s Youth Advisory Panel 2023 was presented at the GCA Pavilion. The Youth Advisory Panel is a 12-member Panel that provides strategic advice to the GCA CEO on youth engagement to drive the adaptation agenda. This year’s Panel members are Deon Shekuza (Namibia), Baliqees Salaudeen (Nigeria), Shaemma Mebwana (United Arab Emirates), Abdallah Emad Afify (Egypt), Natalia Gómez Solano (Costa Rica), Soomin Han (Canada), Manav Khanna (India), Sadia Jahan Rothi (Bangladesh), Hannah Athaliah James (Papua New Guinea), Fale Andrew Lesa (Samoa), Adéla Pokorná (Czech Republic), and Xan Northcott (UK). The Panel members come from diverse backgrounds, including grass roots organizations, academia, and policy. The Youth Advisory Panel 2022 shared reflections on their year of action and highlights.
Find out more about the CEO’s Youth Advisory Panel 2023 here.
Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program’s YouthADAPT 2022 Awards and Innnovations Showcase
The 2022 winners of the Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge (YouthADAPT), an annual competition organized jointly by the African Development Bank and GCA, were announced on 10th November in Sharm El-Sheikh. The 20 winning enterprises – half them led by women – operate innovative youth-led businesses that invest in adaptation solutions addressing climate change.
On 12th November, YouthADAPT 2021 winners from Cameroon, Nigeria and Kenya presented their innovative adaptation solutions at a Showcase of Innovations held at the Youth Pavilion. Youth Envoy Dr. Omnia El Omrani delivered the keynote speech, and the event included a Q&A with the YouthADAPT winners and a donor roundtable and open dialogue with youth entrepreneurs.
The YouthADAPT Challenge is an initiative of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), an Africa-owned and Africa-led initiative launched jointly by GCA and the AfDB with the support of the African Union and African leaders. The AAAP is mobilizing $25 billion for adaptation investments in Africa in the next five years. GCA’s AAAP Upstream Financing Facility has influenced more than $3 billion of downstream investments with Multilateral Development Banks in 19 countries across Africa.
Capacity-Building Project and Toolkit for Youth on Leadership & Adaptation
Also on 10th November, GCA and CARE launched a capacity-building project that aims to empower young people to engage in adaptation policy-making and action by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to do so. The project will be implemented in ten countries across the African continent, in partnership with youth organizations, and consists of three phases:
- Development of tools and materials on youth leadership and adaptation,
- Providing training to youth organizations to train their peers, and
- Youth-led workshops in ten countries reaching 10,000 young people.
Also on 10th November, GCA and CARE launched a capacity-building project that aims to empower young people to engage in adaptation policy-making and action by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to do so. The project will be implemented in ten countries across the African continent, in partnership with youth organizations, and consists of three phases: (i) Development of tools and materials on youth leadership and adaptation, (ii) Providing training to youth organizations to train their peers, and (iii) Youth-led workshops in ten countries reaching 10,000 young people. The capacity-building project was launched by Prof. Verkooijen and the CEO of CARE Egypt, Dr. Hazem Fahmy, alongside youth leaders. The presentation brought together nearly 80 young people from across the African continent.
Consultation on Gaps, Needs and Opportunities for Youth Participation Across Africa
On 11th November a consultation was organized by GCA in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to gather youth perspectives on the gaps, needs and opportunities for youth participation across the African continent relating to adaptation. Speakers included Dr. Ede Ijjasz-Vásquez, Senior Advisor of GCA; Prof. Anthony Nyong, Senior Director of GCA; Edith Adera, Regional Principal Officer of AfDB; and Dr. Aloysius Uche Ordu, Director of the Africa Growth Initiative of Brookings Institution. Throughout the five-hour consultation, 60 young people from youth organizations, youth councils and entrepreneurships shared perspectives on meaningful youth engagement.
17th Conference of Youth
At the 17th Conference of Youth (COY17) in Sharm El-Sheikh, organized by and for young people under the banner of the UNFCCC Youth Constituency YOUNGO, more than 500 young participants from over 140 countries came together from 2nd to 4th November, ahead of COP27. COY17 is the biggest youth conference related to the multilateral UN climate processes, and the official gathering of YOUNGO. GCA hosted two workshops focused on understanding climate adaptation and the adaptation negotiation process at COP27, and identifying recommendations for youth inclusion in adaptation action. Read the blog by two young advocates here.
“The Global Goal on Adaptation must be centered on collaboration and intersectional approaches to solutions and action.”
Stephanie Eyram Akrumah, Climate Adaptation Entrepreneur, Ghana
Case Studies on Adaptation and Climate Resilience in Schools and Educational Settings
On 15th November, Action for Climate Empowerment Day at COP27, GCA, the Centre for Environment Education and the Foundation for Environmental Education presented the publication Case Studies on Adaptation and Climate Resilience in Schools and Educational Settings. The report compiles case studies from around the world, with a focus on Africa, to amplify concrete climate adaptation actions designed and implemented in different countries across the world and demonstrate the transformational power of adaptation education.
Youth Adaptation Network
The Youth Adaptation Network engages, empowers and amplifies the role of young people in the adaptation agenda. If you want to be part of the Youth Adaptation Network register through bit.ly/YANSignup
For more information about GCA’s Youth Leadership Program, click here or contact GCA’s Thematic Lead for Youth Leadership & Education, Ms. Adriana Valenzuela, at youth@gca.org.
