Globally, young people are becoming bolder in holding their political leaders to account and in raising awareness of the climate emergency that grows starker and more evident by the day in the existential risks it poses to current and future generations.

In Africa, young people have demonstrated their ability to be advocates of change, as concerns about environmental threats and destruction, coupled with the desire to make a positive contribution to society, have spurred them into action. Taking advantage of their sheer numbers, Africa’s youth are playing leading roles by raising their voices against injustice and engaging in climate change activism.

From the #FridaysForFuture to #SchoolClimateStrike campaigns, there is a growing youth movement on the continent that is advocating for more and better action against the global climate crisis.

Despite their great potential, youth in and out of the climate movement in Africa do not have equal access to opportunities and the space to practice their power and agency as many are challenged by gender, economic background, age, ability, and geography, among others.

For many of the local and grassroots initiatives that are doing essential community-level activism, there is no route available to take their ideas into international arenas. It is hard for young people to engage when the institutional mechanisms for the formulation and implementation of policies and strategies are not inclusive.

In many ways, the youth movement in Africa continues to be sidelined in international policymaking, as opportunities for meaningful youth participation in UNFCCC negotiations and other mainstream global processes remain constrained. Crucially, African governments have not lived up to the expectation of including youth in national delegations or providing them with the capacity, knowledge and tools needed for them to play more than an observer role.

When it comes to technical capacity, many young people lack the literacy, language and leadership skills to initiate action amongst their peers and within their communities. In fact, there is a major deficiency in climate change education, training, public awareness and access to information, as these are all critical for building the skills for effective action.