Background
Africa is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, affecting agriculture, water resources, and livelihoods. With the continent’s rapid population growth—where over 60% are youth—there is a significant opportunity to harness green technologies, foster local innovation, and drive sustainable employment for young people. Green climate technology can strengthen Africa’s resilience against climate threats while enabling job creation and economic growth through sustainable industries. The impact of climate change is expected to be higher in the East African region due to limited adaptive capacity, technologies, and information, and significant development is still required. Furthermore, a significant percentage of the region’s working-age youth (15-35) is unemployed.
However, across Africa and the East Africa region, the youthful population, innovative potential, and emerging green technologies in the tech start-up sector present unique opportunities to tackle climate challenges. Nonetheless, harnessing these startups to address the technology gap and youth unemployment will require targeted support because of existing barriers such as financing deficits, skills mismatches, gender disparities, and regulatory hindrances. So, how do we overcome these barriers? And what forms of targeted and supportive legal, policy, finance and infrastructural frameworks are needed to foster green technology development and adoption?
The Event
At COP29, APRI and SYND are convening a side event to deliberate on the challenges above and share insights on how to scale innovation in green technology in ways that generate jobs for the youth. The event will also deliberate on the findings of APRI’s continental scoping report, which assesses the potential of green tech innovation to bolster youth employment prospects. Aligned with COP29’s commitment to empowering youth in green innovation, this event will emphasise the specific innovation and youth employment needs and priorities of the East Africa region, the existing policy framework and the policy responsiveness of such policies to the needs and priorities of young people with the view of enhancing current efforts at scaling local innovation in green technology. The event format is a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session, creating space for stakeholders to engage on pathways to bolster youth employment through green technology, particularly in the East African context.
Target Audience
- Young innovators, entrepreneurs, and students interested in green technology sectors
- Policymakers from African governments and regional bodies
- NGOs and civil society organisations focused on youth and climate action
- Private sector players in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green manufacturing
- Academic and research institutions with programs on climate resilience and technology
- Development partners and impact investors interested in climate-friendly initiatives in Africa
The Panelists
Lily Odarno
Panel
Lily Odarno is the Energy and Climate Innovation Director at the Clean Air Task Force.
Aileen Ajiwa
Panel
Aileen Ajiwa is a Project Assistant for the Climate Justice program at FemNet.
Kudakwashe Manjonjo
Panel
Kudakwashe Manjonjo is a Just Transition Associate at Power Shift Africa.
Tedd Moya
Panel
Tedd Moya is the Director at EED Advisory.
Moderation
Dr. Serwah Prempeh
Moderator
Dr. Serwah Prempeh is a Senior Fellow for the Economy & Society program at the Africa Policy Research Institute.